STAND. COM. REP. NO. 700

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 459

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 459 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREARMS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of the Attorney General to develop and implement a state program to allow active and retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed firearm in the State pursuant to the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and four individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 (LEOSA), Public Law 108‑277, was intended to afford active and retired law enforcement officers the privilege of carrying a concealed firearm across state lines.  Your Committee further finds that currently, Hawaii has not established firearm qualification standards for qualified retired law enforcement officers residing in the State or a statutory framework to uniformly permit active and qualified retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed weapon in Hawaii pursuant to the LEOSA.  This measure will authorize the Department of the Attorney General to develop and implement a state program to issue firearm qualification certifications to qualified retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed firearm in Hawaii pursuant to the LEOSA.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Limiting the Department of the Attorney General's role in implementing the LEOSA to issuing firearm qualification certifications for qualified retired law enforcement officers;

 

     (2)  Clarifying that state law relating to licenses to carry firearms does not apply to qualified active or retired law enforcement officers carrying concealed firearms in compliance with the LEOSA; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 459, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 459, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair