Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 160 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to broaden the State's fraudulent claims law to include the counties.

Supportive testimony was submitted by a Council member of the Honolulu City Council and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The Consumer Lawyers of Hawaii suggested amending the bill to make the provisions retroactive, and to provide for whistleblower protection.

Your Committee finds that the State's fraudulent claims law has protected the State against unscrupulous business practices by providing individuals with incentives to report and file incidences of fraudulent activities perpetrated against the State. County governments would also benefit from the protection afforded by this law. Accordingly, your Committee finds that the fraudulent claims law should be broadened to include the counties.

Your Committee made stylistic and technical amendments that do not affect the substance of the bill.

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. 160, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 160, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.