STAND. COM. REP. NO. 844

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1328

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1328, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION FEE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the order of priority in which a defendant must pay court-ordered restitution, crime victim compensation fees, probation service fees, other fees, and fines.

This measure also increases by $10 the crime victim compensation fee that a defendant may be ordered to pay based on the grade of criminal offense.

Your Committee finds that the establishment of a priority system regarding payment of court-ordered fees that a defendant is responsible for paying ensures that the victim of the defendant's crime receives the first amount of compensation paid by the defendant. Your Committee further finds that the Judiciary is not assessing the crime victim compensation fee on a regular basis against criminal defendants. The increase in the compensation fee will help improve realizations to the Crime Victims Compensation Special Fund from which payments are made to victims for expenses incurred, and losses sustained as a result of, the defendant's crime.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1328, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair