STAND. COM. REP. NO. 786

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 677

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 677, S.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 fees.

     More specifically, the bill increases the per diem fees paid to a witness from $20 to $55 per day.  The bill also increases the daily fee for witnesses traveling from out of state from $110 per twenty-four-hour period to $160 for each day's attendance.  This increase also applies to witnesses traveling from any island who are required to stay overnight to attend court proceedings.

     The Hawaii Tourism Authority submitted comments in support of the measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended the bill by:

(1)  Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2)  Inserting language that provides funding for fiscal year 2007-2008;

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050; and

(4)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of consistency and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 677, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 677, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair