STAND. COM. REP. NO. 62

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 109

       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 Judiciary and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 109 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE INTERSTATE COMPACT FOR JUVENILES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to adopt the new Interstate Compact for Juveniles, and repeal the existing Interstate Compact for Juveniles codified as chapter 582, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary and Department of Human Services-Office of Youth Services.

     Your Committee finds that this measure would enable Hawaii to participate in a new juvenile interstate compact that replaces the existing compact which expires on December 15, 2009.  An interstate compact ensures the supervision of juveniles from state to state and ensures the return of juvenile runaways, escapees, and absconders to the supervising state.  The compact also helps prevent juveniles from committing other crimes or becoming victims themselves.

     According to testimony of the Judiciary, thirty-five states have adopted the new compact to date.  Without adoption of the new compact, Hawaii will no longer have the procedural means to regulate the movement of juveniles across state lines or to return runaways, absconders, or escapees.

     Your Committee has amended this measure on the recommendation of the Judiciary by changing the appropriation amount to $12,000.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 109, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 109, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair