STAND. COM. REP. NO.  946-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2685

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2685, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ease overcrowding in the state's correctional facilities by authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriating funds for the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Office of Planning of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (Office of Planning) to plan and design a new minimum-security facility at a site with appropriate access to courts, public transportation, and other support services and plan for additional community-custody beds at Oahu Community Correctional Center.

     The Community Alliance on Prisons and several concerned individuals testified in opposition of this bill.  The Office of Planning and DPS offered comments.

     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. 2685, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair