STAND. COM. REP. NO. 731

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1496
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred H.B. No. 1496 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEADLY OR DANGEROUS WEAPONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to:
     
     1.   Prohibit the manufacture, sale, transfer, or possession
          of deadly or dangerous weapons such as dirks, daggers,
          butterfly knives, blackjacks, slug shots, billy clubs,
          electric guns or metal knuckles; and

     2.   Remove pistols, which are presently regulated under
          other existing statutory sections, from the current
          statutory provisions that prohibit the carrying of the
          weapon concealed on the person or within any vehicle
          used or occupied by the person. 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this bill
from the Honolulu Police Department, the Department of the
Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, and
concerned individuals.  Comments were received from the Office of
the Public Defender.

     Your Committee finds that particular attention needs to be
given to butterfly knives by setting them apart from other deadly
or dangerous weapons.


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 731
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting the
substance of the bill and inserting the following provisions to:

     1.   Create a misdemeanor offense for the knowing
          manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, or transport
          of a butterfly knife;

     2.   Create a class C felony for the knowing or intentional
          use or threatened use of a butterfly knife while
          engaged in the commission of a crime; and

     3.   Delete "butterfly knife" from the prohibition against
          carrying deadly or dangerous weapons concealed upon a
          person's self or within a vehicle.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 1496, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No.
1496, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary &
                                   Hawaiian Affairs,



                                   ______________________________
                                   PAUL T. OSHIRO, Chair