STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2816

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2000

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 2000, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide the Judiciary with supplemental appropriations and authorizations for its operations and capital improvements for fiscal biennium 2009-2011 by amending the Judiciary Appropriations Act of 2009.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Judiciary; Judge Michael Wilson of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit; one county agency; seven private organizations; and seventy-seven individuals.  Comments regarding the measure were submitted by Judge Steven Alm of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit and two individuals.  Written testimony presented to your Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee received support for the various programs run and funded by the Judiciary, including Project HOPE and the Drug Court programs.  Your Committee understands that the Judiciary has already undertaken considerable cost-cutting measures in conjunction with the Legislature's actions last year to reduce the Judiciary's budget, that the Judiciary has adopted a furlough plan for all Hawaii Government Employees Association and related employees that was implemented on November 6, 2009, and that these economies have resulted in an increased workload for Judiciary staff who are attempting to do so much with fewer financial resources, people, and work days.

     As such, your Committee is cognizant that the supplemental budget request submitted by the Judiciary is also significantly scaled back in acknowledgement of the State's economic situation and that even the amount of funding originally requested in the supplemental budget will necessitate severe cost-cutting measures.

     However, the Governor has directed executive departments to reduce their budgets by 13.85 per cent of payroll.  This target amount is based upon the savings that three furlough days per month would accrue.  A similar reduction to the Judiciary's budget would be approximately $12,000,000.  Your Committee believes that, instead, a reduction of $11,069,376 in the appropriation for general funds from the Judiciary's supplemental budget request is more feasible, given the amount of cost-cutting the Judiciary has already done.  This amount is calculated using the Department of Budget and Finance's projection of $8,069,376 two-day furlough savings and an additional $3,000,000.  This will allow the Judiciary to allocate this reduction in accordance with their priorities.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Reducing the appropriation of general funds by an additional $393,000 for furlough savings; and

     (2)  Reducing the appropriation of general funds by an additional $3,000,000 to meet the target reduction amount.

     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 H.B. No. 2000, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2000, H.D. 2, 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