Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2696 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide criminal penalties for those who steal the identity of another, and for those who obtain identity documents under false pretenses or use a false or fictitious identity.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from the Attorney General, Office of Information Practices, City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Maui Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu Police Department, County of Maui Police Department, County of Hawaii Police Department, and Retail Merchants of Hawaii. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the measure from the Public Defender.

Your Committee finds that, in light of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the ramifications of identity theft have proven much more grave than previously thought. Identity theft, a huge problem in financial fraud and theft cases, now has implications for national security. This measure provides a comprehensive framework of statutes to deal with the various aspects of identity theft.

Your Committee has made technical, nonsubstantive changes to reflect preferred drafting style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2696, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2696, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.