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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3234

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1940
                                        H.D. 2
                                        S.D. 2




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 1940, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, 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 the
allowable fees for court appointed attorneys for indigent
criminal defendants.

     The bill also provides for equivalent fees for court
appointed guardian ad litems under section 571-87, Hawaii Revised
Statutes.

     The bill appropriates $900,000 for fiscal year 2000-2001 to
be expended by the Judiciary and $900,000 for fiscal year 2000-
2001 to be expended by the Department of Budget and Finance to
accomplish the purposes of this Act. 

     Your Committee finds that current compensation levels for
court appointed counsel have not been adjusted since 1987 and,
consequently, are not adequate to fairly compensate court
appointed attorneys for their time.  Your Committee further finds

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3234
                                   Page 2


that linking state compensation levels to federal compensation
levels for court appointed counsel in Hawaii will ensure that
state compensation levels remain at a fair and adequate level.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the amounts
appropriated in sections 3 and 4 to unspecified amounts to
facilitate continuing discussion on this matter.

     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.
1940, 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. 1940,
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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