STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3419

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 660

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 660 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE CIRCUIT COURTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify that the circuit courts have jurisdiction over actions for impeachment of county officers that are subject to impeachment.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Ethics Commission of the City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committee finds that this measure is necessary to validate the various county ordinances relating to appeals of county impeachment cases.  Currently, counties enact ordinances to provide for an appeals process to the courts in impeachment cases.  However, only the Legislature has the authority to enact laws to specify the jurisdiction of the courts.

     The intent of this measure is to facilitate the enactment of valid county ordinances providing for an impeachment process applicable to county officials.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050 to continue discussions on this matter.

     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. 660, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 660, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair