STAND. COM. REP. NO.699
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2003
RE: S.B. No. 635
S.D. 2
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2003
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 635, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAFFIC FINES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to establish a problem solving courts special fund and provide additional funding for the Judiciary computer system special fund.
Specifically, this measure allocates a portion of the amounts collected from uncontested traffic fines, forfeitures, assessments, and penalties during fiscal years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 to the Judiciary computer system special fund and deposits the excess uncontested fines, forfeitures, assessments, and penalties for traffic infractions, grants, donations, and other funding sources into the problem solving courts special fund.
Your Committee finds that the computer system special fund was established by the Legislature in 1996 to finance the implementation of the Judiciary's Information Management System (JIMS) project. The objectives of the JIMS project are to:
(1) Replace the Judiciary's archaic and disparate computer systems;
(2) Ensure public safety by providing judges with up-to-date, accurate, and comprehensive case management information upon which to make appropriate sentencing, bail-setting, and other decisions involving criminal defendants;
(3) Eliminate or reduce redundant data entry by Judiciary employees and permit efficient data sharing among judicial circuits and between the Judiciary and external criminal justice agencies;
(4) Reduce the amount of paper filed in and by the courts;
(5) Increase judicial control over case processing time;
(6) Increase control of receipts, expenses, and projected revenues;
(7) Allow automated reconciliation of accounts receivables;
(8) Improve collections of fines and court-ordered restitution; and
(9) Provide the analytical tools needed to produce statistical reports critical to case scheduling and decision-making.
It is estimated that the total cost of the JIMS project will be between $15 million and $20 million. Your Committee believes that the additional funding provided by this measure will help ensure the timely implementation of this project.
Your Committee further finds that the abuse of alcohol and drugs is a problem that contributes to crime, affects highway safety, and is not noticeably in decline. It is a problem that is perpetuated with certain inmates addicted to drugs and alcohol who require treatment while incarcerated in order to reenter society free of substance dependency. Your Committee understands that the problem solving courts special fund is to be used by the Judiciary to fund various treatment programs to combat these problems.
Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the specific amounts to be appropriated to facilitate continuing discussion on this matter and by making other technical nonsubstantive changes for clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 635, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 635, S.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,
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____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair |
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