CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 1-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    S.B. No. 2400

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2400, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DECRIMINALIZATION OF MINOR OFFENSES PURSUANT TO ACT 124, SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII 2005,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to make the resolution of minor criminal offenses, including traffic violations, as simple as possible for the average citizen and to ensure that police, prosecutorial, and judicial resources are focused on the most serious criminal offenses.

     Specifically, this measure represents the effort of the Judiciary, various state departments, and the Legislative Reference Bureau to fulfill the mandate of Act 124, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, to identify minor criminal offenses for which typically only a fine is imposed and which may be decriminalized without undermining the ability of government to enforce laws within its jurisdiction.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by changing the effective date to upon approval.  Your Committee has retained the effective date of July 1, 2009, for section 2 of the measure, relating to violations of the State's plant and non-domestic animal quarantine law.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2400, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2400, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ TOMMY WATERS, Chair

____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair