STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1523

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1454
                                        H.D. 2
                                        S.D. 2




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 1454, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FEES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to clarify that a single,
uniform fee of $100 is to be applied to all probate actions
involving a decedent's estate.

     In addition, this bill increases the fee for civil district
court filings from $75 to $100, and adds new fees to be assessed
by a district court for administrative costs associated with the
processing of traffic citations issued for stopping, standing, or
parking ($5) and for moving violations ($15).

     Your Committee finds that this bill will establish a uniform
fee to be collected only once upon filing for any proceedings
involving a decedent's estate.  The intent is to clarify that
this one fee applies to all probate cases, whether commenced
through formal and informal proceedings by either an appointed
representative or personal representative, and including foreign
representatives with authority to act in Hawaii.

     Your Committee further finds that, given the difficulties
facing Hawaii's economy and the need to take measures to ensure

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1523
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fiscal solvency, there is a need to ensure that the cost of
certain government operations be borne by the users of those
services.  Your Committee finds that this bill will help to
generate additional revenue to fund needed judiciary services and
ensure that the users of those services contribute to the costs
of government operations.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this
bill by:

     (1)  Adding a purpose section;

     (2)  Modifying the form and amounts of the new
          administrative processing fees to be assessed by a
          District Court in what are now the following amounts:

          (A)  $20 for processing arrests and citations for
               moving violations;

          (B)  $15 for processing non-moving violations; and

          (C)  $5 for processing parking citations; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes.

     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 H.B. No.
1454, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it
pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1454,
H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

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



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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