STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1218

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   S.B. No. 970

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred S.B. No. 970, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to permit the Department of Public Safety (PSD) to:

(1)  Open one or more accounts with financial institutions per inmate and maintain the accounts for approved expenses and purchases by the inmate during incarceration and upon release; and

(2)  Exempt the payment of interest on such accounts maintained by PSD.

     PSD supported this bill.  The Community Alliance on Prisons, and the Hepatitis Support Network of Hawaii, and a concerned individual opposed this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 970, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 970, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

____________________________

FAYE HANOHANO, Chair