STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1105

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 298

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 298, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COURT INTERPRETERS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt court interpreters whose presence is requested by the court from prosecution for expired parking meter violations, as is currently provided to other witnesses who are summoned or subpoenaed by the court.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Judiciary uses court interpreters to provide access to justice for those parties and witnesses with limited English proficiency, thereby facilitating the fair and efficient administration of justice.  These court interpreters serve at the call of the court, and the interpreters may receive parking tickets when they cannot leave the courtroom to deposit money into parking meters.  Your Committee notes that other groups that similarly serve at the call of the court are currently subject to statutory exemptions from prosecution for parking violations while providing services to the court.  Those statutory exemptions include jurors and witnesses pursuant to section 621-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

 

     The Judiciary submitted testimony describing the important role that court interpreters play within the judicial system to facilitate fair access to justice.  According to the Judiciary, court interpreters were used in 7,872 cases during the 2009 fiscal year.  The Judiciary also noted its concern that the failure to provide a statutory exemption for parking violations to court interpreters that is similar to jurors and witnesses may provide a disincentive to the recruitment and retention of qualified court interpreters, who are already in short supply and high demand.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making it effective upon its approval.

 

     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 H.B. No. 298, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 298, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair