STAND. COM. REP. NO.1324
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: S.B. No. 98
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 98 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEGAL SERVICES FOR THE INDIGENT,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to provide indigent persons equal access to legal representation by:
(1) Making permanent the Indigent Legal Assistance Fund (Fund) by repealing its sunset date;
(2) Adding pro bono representation to the definition of "civil legal services" in Act 305, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH) 1996, as amended by Act 121, SLH 1998;
(3) Repealing the requirement that unobligated or unexpended funds in the Fund revert to the general fund on June 30, 2002; and
(4) Requiring the Commission on Access to Justice to review the filing fee surcharge program on a biennial basis.
The Hawaii State Bar Association, Legal Aid society of Hawaii, Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, and Hawaii Disability Rights Center submitted testimony in support of this bill. The Judiciary submitted testimony in support of the intent of this bill.
Your Committee has amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of accuracy.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 98, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 98, H.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,
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____________________________ DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair |
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