STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3039

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1404

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 1404, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE HAWAII COUNTY OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Hawaii for the career criminal prosecution unit and victim witness assistance program.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Hawaii and two individuals.

 

     Your Committees find that a substantial and disproportionate amount of serious crime is caused by a relatively small number of multiple and repeat felony offenders.  Such individuals are commonly known as career criminals.  The career criminal prosecution program was established to support efforts by prosecuting attorneys to pursue such individuals, but funding for the program has declined since its inception.  Your Committees find that funding the career criminal prosecution program is in the public interest.  Your Committees further find that the victim witness assistance program is currently receiving funding from other sources, and further appropriation of funds to that program is unnecessary at this time.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying an appropriation amount of $195,000 for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the career criminal prosecution unit;

 

     (2)  Removing the appropriation for the victim witness assistance program;

 

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2016; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1404, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1404, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor,

 

________________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair