STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1101

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 379

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 379, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WITNESSES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to increase witness' daily fees from $20 to $55 and the per diem paid to witnesses who travel from out of state, and who travel inter-island and stay overnight, from $110 to $160 per day to attend court proceedings.

     Your Committee received testimony from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney and the Office of the Public Defender in support of this bill.  The Department of Budget and Finance provided comments.

     Your Committee amended the bill to change the effective date from January 1, 2050 to "upon approval".

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 379, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 379, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair