STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1023

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1152

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1152, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMITTED PERSONS' ACCOUNTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Department of Public Safety to establish one or more non-interest-bearing accounts with one or more financial institutions to maintain the funds of inmates during incarceration;

     (2)  Allow inmates to use their own funds for approved expenses and purchases during incarceration; and

     (3)  Authorize the Director of Public Safety to designate a percentage of all funds earned by the inmate to be deposited and held in a non-spendable account to provide funds to the inmate upon release from custody.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one state agency.  Testimony in opposition of this measure was submitted by three individuals.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Public Safety needs authorization to provide inmates with one or more non‑interest-bearing accounts during the inmate's incarceration to appropriately transfer and safeguard the correct amount of money in an inmate's spendable and non-spendable accounts.  Your Committee also finds that clarification is needed to ensure that any funds held by the Department of Public Safety for the benefit of an incarcerated inmate are not to receive interest of any kind at any time during the inmate's incarceration.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2030; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1152, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1152, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair