Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 637 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to repeal the Hawaii missing children's clearinghouse trust fund, and to transfer the fund balance to the Friends of the Missing Child Center Hawaii.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Hawaii Missing Children's Clearinghouse Trust Fund Advisory Board and one individual.

Your Committees find that the Hawaii missing children's clearinghouse trust fund, created in 1997 under section 28-122, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), has not lived up to its potential to attract donations from private sources who are under the impression that the fund belongs to the Attorney General, because section 28-122(d), HRS, provides that the fund is "administered by the department of the attorney general unless specifically appropriated to the clearinghouse trust fund". Therefore, there has reportedly been a reluctance on the part of private donors to contribute to the fund. This measure would provide more incentive for the fund to receive private donations.

According to oral testimony, the Friends of the Missing Child Center Hawaii is on the verge of being incorporated as a nonprofit in Hawaii and for purposes of qualifying under the Internal Revenue Code. The organization is solely dedicated to locating, protecting, and recovering missing children.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 637 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.