STAND. COM. REP. NO. 150

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 797

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 797 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY RIGHTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the offense of criminal property damage to a public restroom as a misdemeanor.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that vandalism to restroom facilities in public parks is occurring more frequently.  There have been numerous incidents of vandalism to these public restrooms, which result in a financial cost to repair or replace these restroom facilities and prevent the public from using and enjoying the parks.  This measure helps to deter incidents of vandalism by establishing a separate criminal offense for damaging a public restroom located at a public park or recreational ground.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting language that refers to setting fire to a trash receptacle from the offense of criminal property damage to a public restroom; and

 

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion.

 

     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. 797, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 797, S.D. 1, and be referred to your 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