STAND. COM. REP. NO. 200-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1940
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred H.B. No. 1940 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COURT APPOINTED COUNSEL LEGAL
     FEES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide an increase in
allowable fees for court appointed attorneys representing
indigent criminal defendants.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the
State Department of Budget and Finance.  Testimony was also
received from the Office of the Public Defender.

     Your Committee finds that the rates for court appointed
attorneys representing indigent criminal defendants has not been
increased since 1987, resulting in rates which are now below
operational costs for many attorneys.  This has caused many
highly qualified attorneys to decline to take court appointed
cases.

     Your Committee finds that there is substantial justification
for an increase in court appointed counsel fees, and amends the
proposed measure by increasing the hourly fee to $75, increasing
the maximum fees schedule of Section 802-5 by approximately 25%
(resembling the judicial salary increase of 22%), and making
technical, non-substantive changes for purposes of clarity and
style.

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 200-00
                                 Page 2

 
     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. 1940, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No.
1940, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair