STAND. COM. REP. NO. 146

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 970

       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 S.B. No. 970 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Public Safety to deposit a committed person's funds into one or more noninterest bearing accounts with one or more financial institutions, rather than requiring that the funds be deposited into an individual trust account.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one state agency.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by one private organization.  Copies of written testimony on this measure are available for review on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that allowing the Department of Public Safety to deposit a committed person's funds into one or more accounts gives the Department of Public Safety flexibility in allowing the committed person to use funds from one account for necessities or other amenities while incarcerated and another account that they can use to reintegrate themselves into the community upon their release.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 S.B. No. 970, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 970, 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