STAND. COM. REP. NO. 504-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2736
                                     H.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and
Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No.
2736 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IDENTITY THEFT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to criminalize identity theft
and provide for a civil action for identity theft.

     The Department of the Attorney General, the Department of
the Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, the
Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii League of Savings
Institutions, and concerned individuals testified in support of
this measure.  The Office of the Public Defender testified in
opposition.

     Your Committees find that this measure will address the
growing problem of unauthorized use of personal information in
the furtherance of thefts.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Retaining only the provisions concerning criminal
          sanctions for identity theft;

     (2)  Replacing the three degrees of identity theft with one
          encompassing provision divided into misdemeanor and
          class C felony offenses; and

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 504-00
                                 Page 2

 
     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Consumer
Protection and Commerce that are attached to this report, your
Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
2736, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2736, H.D. 1, and
be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Judiciary and
                                   Hawaiian Affairs and Consumer
                                   Protection and Commerce,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
RON MENOR, Chair                   ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair