Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2300 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to amend the Judiciary Appropriations Act of 2003 that provided necessary funds for the operation and capital improvement costs for the Judiciary for fiscal biennium July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2005.

Your Committee appreciates the Judiciary's effort to produce a supplemental budget that recognizes the need for fiscal restraint. The Judiciary submitted a supplemental general fund budget request that is $4.9 million below the Judiciary’s general fund appropriation ceiling, based upon the Council on Revenues' November 15, 2003, estimated state growth rate of 4.66 percent. Your Committee demonstrated its support of the needs of the Judiciary and the indispensable services it provides to the citizens of the State by approving $3,573,664 of the Judiciary's budget requests to bring the Judiciary’s total budget for fiscal year (FY) 2005 to $121,570,263.

To stem the use of crystal methamphetamine and its resultant deleterious effects on our State, your Committee approved $1,144,864 in additional funding to expand the Drug Court Program on the neighbor islands. The Drug Court Program has a record of success: the recidivism rate for graduates of the First Circuit Drug Court Program is a remarkably low 5 percent. As this budget makes evident, your Committee is committed to fostering this success. The current appropriation for the Drug Court Program is $2,604,571, or 2.3 percent of the Judiciary's FY 2004 appropriation. With the additional funding, the total appropriation for the Drug Court Program for FY 2005 reflects an increase of 44 percent to $3,749,435. This increase demonstrates your Committee’s commitment to this highly effective program.

In the Second Circuit, an additional $439,233 will provide Drug Court substance abuse counselors and substance abuse treatment to rehabilitate clients, 80 percent of whom are addicted to crystal methamphetamine. Eighty-one clients will receive close court supervision and essential substance abuse treatment, as well as training in relapse prevention, cognitive restructuring, life skills, and educational/vocational skills.

According to the Department of Health, the substance abuse problem is particularly acute on the Big Island. As such, $376,996 in additional funding for social workers and substance abuse treatment was approved for the Third Circuit. The Judiciary has estimated that through this funding, the Circuit's Drug Court Program will be able to double its client capacity to serve an additional 41 clients.

There is currently only one Drug Court-dedicated judgeship in the entire Judiciary, and that one is assigned to the First Circuit. To address this situation, your Committee approved two additional judgeships – one for Family Court and the other for Drug Court. These two judgeships will ensure that Drug Court cases receive the time and attention they need.

Your Committee is also mindful of the increasing number and complexity of cases involving families that the Judiciary has been receiving. Therefore, your Committee approved $500,000 in additional funding for:

(2) Legal counsel to represent indigent parents.

Your Committee also authorized continued funding for the Children's Justice Center's treatment of victims of intra-familial child abuse and juvenile sex offenders under the age of twelve.

In a year where every branch of state government has made explicit its unconditional commitment to curtail the use and the effects of crystal methamphetamine in our communities, this budget demonstrates the Legislature's intent to partner with the Judiciary in fulfilling this commitment.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2300, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2300, H.D. 1.