Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2500, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide the Judiciary with the supplemental appropriations and authorizations for its operations and capital improvements for fiscal biennium 2005-2007 by amending the Judiciary Appropriations Act of 2005.

The Judiciary and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. A concerned individual opposed the measure.

Your Committee has carefully considered the Judiciary’s supplemental budget request and sought to provide general funds to further the Judiciary’s mission of administering justice in an impartial, efficient, and accessible manner.

Two new and critical initiatives were provided with considerable resources in this supplemental budget:

Approximately 25 percent of the state’s population speaks a language other than English at home. The Judiciary seeks to meet the language interpretation needs of this population within the judicial system. The Court Interpreter Certification Program will provide standardized orientation, screening, testing, and training for those seeking to be court interpreters. This program will ensure that qualified, professional, and ethical interpreters are available for everyone in Hawaii.

The Judiciary has also been seeking innovative solutions to address drug abuse and other violations among those on probation. The Probation Modification Project in the First Circuit provides close supervision, treatment services, and immediate consequences of violations for individuals on probation. The Judiciary has experienced promising results with a small pilot group of high-risk offenders and proposes to apply the methods to a larger population.

Your Committee has also provided:

1. $241,000 to provide additional guardians ad litem for children and attorney services for indigent parents in the Family Court of the First Circuit;
2. $295,780 to enhance and continue substance abuse treatment services in the Family Court Drug Court of the Second Circuit;
3. $45,178 to expand substance abuse treatment services in the Maui Drug Court of the Second Circuit;
4. $92,256 for additional staff in the Domestic Violence Unit of the Third Circuit;
5. $60,000 for a purchase of service to continue operations of the Kauai Teen Court in the Fifth Circuit; and
6. $41,916 for the Office of the Public Guardian in the Judiciary.

In all, your Committee has provided an additional $2,214,056 in general funds to the Judiciary.

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. 2500, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2500, H.D. 2.