STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1214

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1212

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1212, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds for the operating and capital improvement costs of the Judiciary for fiscal biennium July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2009.

     The Judiciary, Family Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association, Mestizo Association, Maui County Library Association, Hawaii Business Research Library, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Children's Rights Council of Hawaii and numerous concerned individuals opposed this measure.  Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawaii and several concerned individuals submitted comments.

     With the expected loss of the federal grant that funded the Girls' Court, your Committee saw it necessary to provide $283,226 in fiscal year 2007-2008 (FY 2008) and $330,734 in fiscal year 2008-2009 (FY 2009) to maintain this critical program.  Approximately 45 percent of Family Court's caseload is composed of female juvenile offenders.  The services provided by the Girls' Court will help rehabilitate these young women and assist in reducing recidivism, runaways, and arrests.

     To assist in the Judiciary’s effort to reduce recidivism among adult offenders, your Committee has provided $244,361 in FY 2008 and $247,437 in FY 2009 for the continuation and expansion of services by the Interagency Council on Intermediate Sanctions (ICIS).  The federal grant that funds this program is scheduled to end in the fall of 2007.  ICIS is the focal point of a collaborative, multi-agency, statewide effort to assist probationers who otherwise would not be participating in specific recidivism-reduction programs.

     Your Committee has also provided:

(1) $1,534,303 in FY 2008 and $1,414,372 in FY 2009 for the Hilo Judiciary Complex;

(2) $1,358,700 in FY 2008 to upgrade the telephone system of the First Judicial Circuit;

(3) $130,000 in both fiscal years of the biennium for purchase-of-service contracts for the Third Judicial Circuit for juvenile sex offender treatment;

(4) $92,000 in both fiscal years of the biennium for purchase-of-service contracts for the Fifth Judicial Circuit for domestic violence treatment; and

(5) $91,888 in FY 2008 and $84,288 in FY 2009 for the Children's Justice Center to help address cases involving children who are victims of crime.

     In all, your Committee has provided the Judiciary an additional $11,163,329 in FY 2008 and $9,493,056 in FY 2009 in general fund appropriations.

     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. 1212, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1212, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair