STAND. COM. REP. NO.  783-08

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

 

RE:   H.B. No. 3422

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 3422, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SURCHARGE FOR INDIGENT LEGAL SERVICES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to improve civil legal services to indigent persons by:

 

     (1)  Increasing the revenues that help fund such programs by increasing the surcharges on initial court filing fees in civil actions from:

 

          (A)  $25 to $50 in the circuit courts; and

 

          (B)  $10 to $25 in the district courts;

 

          and

 

     (2)  Raising income limits to increase access to indigent legal services. 

 

     The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Domestic Violence Action Center, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Justice Foundation, and Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii testified in support of this bill.  The Collection Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association, Kauai Credit Adjusters, Ltd., MEDCAH, Inc., Maui Collection Service, Inc., and several concerned individuals opposed this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Changing to unspecified amounts the surcharges on initial court filing fees in civil actions;

 

     (2)  Changing the amount of income that a person can make to qualify for civil legal services for indigent persons, to an unspecified percentage of the official poverty line;

 

     (3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3422, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3422, H.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair