STAND. COM. REP. NO. 885

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 898
                                        




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

Sir:

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

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DISPOSITION OF NOTARY
     RECORDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to transfer the care and
disposition of notary records from the Judiciary to the Attorney
General.

     Your Committee finds that under current procedures, an
applicant applies for a notary commission at the Department of
the Attorney General, and the Attorney General issues the notary
commission.  The notary must then travel to the circuit court to
file a signature card, a bond, and a copy of the commission.  The
circuit court files completed notary books, and subsequently
microfilms these books.  The court also authenticates a notary
signature.  On the other hand, the Attorney General monitors and
revokes notary commissions.  Your Committee further finds that
since the Judiciary has no jurisdiction over these records, the
safekeeping of these records should reside with the Attorney
General.  

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the
Judiciary and the Department of the Attorney General.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 885
                                   Page 2


Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
898 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on
the calendar for Third Reading.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   AVERY B. CHUMBLEY, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   MATTHEW M. MATSUNAGA, Co-Chair

 
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