STAND. COM. REP. NO.  393

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1248

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1248 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NAME CHANGES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to reduce the possibility that sex offenders and offenders against minors can avoid registering with the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center through a name change.  This bill prohibits these offenders from obtaining a name change unless a court first determines that a name change request:

     (1)  Is in the best interest of justice; and

     (2)  Will not adversely affect public safety.

     The Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of the Attorney General testified in support of this bill.  The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii opposed this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1248, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1248, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair