STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1055-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2700

      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. 2700 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide the Judiciary with the supplemental appropriations and authorizations for its operations and capital improvements for fiscal biennium 2007-2009 by amending the Judiciary Appropriations Act of 2007.

Your Committee has carefully considered the Judiciary’s supplemental budget request and sought to provide general funds to further the Judiciary’s mission of administering justice in an impartial, efficient, and accessible manner.

     To ensure that the interests of children are represented in judicial proceedings involving neglect and abuse, your Committee has allocated an additional $1,472,603 for guardians ad litem and court-appointed counsel.

     Your Committee also supports the Judiciary’s efforts to improve access to its services to meet the needs of Hawaii's growing and diverse population.  To this end, your Committee provided the following:

(1) $278,358 for an additional judgeship and support staff for the Hamakua and North/South Kohala districts; and

(2) $219,385 for the Office of Equality and Access to the Courts to expand court interpreter services.

     Your Committee has also provided the following:

(1) $451,114 for the expansion of the Maui Drug Court;

(2) $682,439 for repair and maintenance of aging facilities and security screening equipment for Oahu circuit and district courts;

(3) $746,954 for pay raises for judges as recommended by the Commission on Salaries; and

(4) $416,000 for increased costs of forensic psychiatric and psychological exams.

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. 2700, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2700, H.D. 1., and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair