STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3006

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2000

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2000, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, 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.

     Written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     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.  The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations instead imposed a reduction of $11,069,376 on the fiscal year 2011 general fund appropriation.  This amount was calculated using the Department of Budget and Finance's projection of $8,069,376 two-day furlough savings and an additional lump sum reduction of $3,000,000.  This will allow the Judiciary to allocate this reduction in accordance with their priorities.

     While not meeting the same general fund reductions imposed on state executive agencies, your Committee concurred with the committee on Judiciary and Government Operations' recommended funding levels for the Judiciary.

     However, your Committee has amended the capital improvement program portion of the budget to provide $5,487,000 in fiscal year 2011 funding for necessary repairs and improvements at the Lahaina District Court, the North Kohala District Court, and the District and Circuit Courts in Honolulu.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2000, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2000, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair