STAND

STAND. COM. REP. 194

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 1222

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Labor and Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1222 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to enable the State to more effectively manage the functions relating to prisons and law enforcement that are currently under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Safety (DPS). This bill:

(1) Creates a new Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) that would be responsible for security, law enforcement, and public safety programs and functions for the State, including its buildings;

(2) Transfers several other functions to DLE including:

(a) The officers and investigators with the Narcotics Enforcement Division;

(b) DPS's functions relating to the Sheriff's Office and Judiciary security personnel;

(c) The after hours security contracts functions of the Department of Education and Public Library System facilities; and

(d) The contractual security guard services and the services relating to the executive security officers;

and

(3) Converts DPS to a new Department of Corrections. The Hawaii Paroling Authority and the Crime Victim Compensation Commission would be placed within this new department.

Currently, the distinct functions of corrections and law enforcement create competing priorities for DPS. At the same time, while corrections remains of critical importance to the State, the demand for law enforcement services has dramatically increased recently due to security services needed for such events as the Asian Development Bank Conference at the Convention Center, the Honolulu International Airport in the immediate aftermath of September 11^th, and the Halawa mercury cleanup.

DPS and the City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney testified in support of this bill. The Hawaii State Public Library System opposed the provisions relating to the transfer of the library security functions to DLE.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Labor and Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1222 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Labor and Public Employment,

____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair		____________________________ KEN ITO, Chair