STAND. COM. REP. NO 162

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1072

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 1072 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide an emergency appropriation of $1,100,000 in general revenues to the Department of the Attorney General for fiscal year 2014-2015 to fund contracts to retain expert counsel, expert witnesses, and other legal services.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Department of the Attorney General anticipates incurring several major litigation expenses for the retention of expert witnesses and specialized legal counsel.  These expenses include expenses to defend the State against claims for money damages in several large, one-time only class action lawsuits and investigating and prepare for filing a suit to recover funds to repair and restore damage in and around Honolulu Harbor resulting from the September 2013 molasses spill.  This measure will supplement the normal annual litigation budget used by the Department of the Attorney General to fund litigation expenses.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1072 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

 

 

 

____________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair