STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3355

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2998

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2998, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish the Adam Walsh Act Compliance Working Group in conformance with the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Public Safety Act of 2006.

     No testimony was submitted on this measure.

     The federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Public Safety Act of 2006 (Adam Walsh Act) requires each state to conform its laws by July 29, 2009, to Department of Justice guidelines for sex offender registration or face the loss of ten per cent of any federal funding the state may receive pursuant to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.  Your Committee finds that this measure will establish a working group to:  determine, among other things, whether the additional costs of complying with the Adam Walsh Act outweigh the funds that Hawaii will retain by complying; and review the Hawaii Revised Statutes and propose legislation as necessary to comply with the Adam Walsh Act.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of the Attorney General to convene the working group;

     (2)  Deleting the appropriation section because the Department of the Attorney General should be able to provide the administrative, technical, and clerical support services necessary to assist the working group without additional funding;

     (3)  Making the Act effective upon approval; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, 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 H.B. No. 2998, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2998, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair