Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2294 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve public safety by improving the services of the Judiciary, and access through improved technology.

Specifically, the bill increases the administrative fees imposed for processing traffic cases and requires that the additional moneys collected as a result of the increase be deposited into the Judiciary Computer Systems Special Fund.

Your Committee finds that the Judiciary Computer Systems Special Fund was established to provide a source of revenue to upgrade the Judiciary's computer system. Although the fund has been used for a number of major advances in technology, more improvements are necessary.

Your Committee finds that this measure, which will permit the Judiciary to retain one-half of the fees collected for administrative costs for processing traffic citations, will help to defray the costs of the continued upgrade of the Judiciary's computer system. This upgrade will benefit court users and others needing to interface with the Judiciary and its courts by improving service and access to information maintained by the Judiciary.

Your Committee notes that, last year, the Legislature passed a similar measure that directed existing fees charged for administrative costs imposed in traffic cases to be deposited in the Judiciary Computer Systems Special Fund. However, the Governor vetoed the measure because money otherwise deposited into the general fund would have been deposited into the special fund, thereby negatively impacting the State's limited resources.

Your Committee further notes that, unlike the vetoed measure, this measure will not adversely affect the general fund because only the increased fees generated by this measure will be deposited into the special fund.

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 H.B. No. 2294, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.