Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2500, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to supplement the Judiciary Appropriations Act of 2005.

Specifically, your Committee on Conference provided an additional $18,153,918 for the operating and capital improvement expenses of the Judiciary, increasing the Judiciary's total budget for fiscal year 2007 to $149,431,158. This increase will enable the Judiciary to fulfill its mission of "administering justice in an impartial, efficient, and accessible manner in accordance with the law."

With respect to the administration of inmate probation programs, your Committee on Conference recognizes that inmates on probation, which include crystal methamphetamine users and domestic violence offenders, are increasingly failing to comply with the terms of traditional probation. The recidivism of these inmates has not only exacerbated the overcrowding problem in prisons, but has led to higher costs for the State as well.

To address this problem, your Committee on Conference has provided seven temporary positions and $1,245,118 in general funds to expand the Probation Modification Project, which provides close supervision, treatment services, and immediate consequences for inmates violating probation. This pilot program has already shown very promising results and the funding provided will allow the Judiciary to expand the program to oversee 1,257 of the most high-risk offenders.

Your Committee on Conference also included in this measure additional funding for the following programs:

1. $249,475 in general funds for Na Loio Immigrant Legal Services that was converted from a grant to a purchase of service;
2. $325,000 in general funds for a purchase of service for Domestic Violence services;
3. $649,000 in general funds for a grant for the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii;
4. $200,000 in general funds for a grant for the Children’s Alliance of Hawaii;
5. $25,000 in general funds for a grant for the Hawaii Family Law Clinic; and
6. $200,000 in general funds for a grant for the Hawaii Pro Bono Lawyer Referral Project.

In addition to the resources provided for the Judiciary's operating requirements, your Committee on Conference appropriated $14,000,000 in capital improvement projects, including $6,000,000 to purchase land for the Kapolei Judiciary Complex, and $1,000,000 for various renovations, repairs, and improvements to Judiciary facilities statewide.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2500, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2500, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.