STAND. COM. REP. NO. 735________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1497
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred H.B. No. 1497 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SENTENCING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to allow the imposition of the
enhanced sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of
parole for murder in the second degree.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this bill
from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the City and
County of Honolulu.  Comments were received from the Office of
the Public Defender.

     Your Committee finds that under specific conditions,
discretion should be given to the courts to sentence a person
convicted of murder in the second degree to a term of
imprisonment of life without the possibility of parole.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by making technical,
nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style and clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 1497, as amended herein, and recommends that

 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 735________
                                 Page 2

 
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No.
1497, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary &
                                   Hawaiian Affairs,



                                   ______________________________
                                   PAUL T. OSHIRO, Chair