Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3237 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii Na Keiki Law Center.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii, the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, the Hawaii Foster Youth Coalition, the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, an educator with the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and four individuals. One individual took no position on this measure.

Your Committee finds that Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii's Na Keiki Law Center focuses on the legal needs and rights of children by providing guidance and legal services to children and their families in need. The center provides legal representation to children who are at risk of being or are homeless, at risk of or have been abused or neglected, and witnesses to domestic violence. The center also provides legal education and support to professionals working with children. According to the testimony of Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii, your Committee finds that Na Keiki Law Center needs $460,000 to continue to provided all these services to allow the center to fulfill its purpose of protecting Hawaii's children.

Your Committee has amended the bill by designating the Judiciary as the expending agency and making technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3237, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3237, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.