STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2024

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2581

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2581 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AN AUTOMATED VICTIM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to codify the statewide automated victim information and notification system and to establish an automated victim notification system special fund.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, State Attorney General, Hawaii Paroling Authority, Crime Victim Compensation Commission, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney, Kaua‘i Prosecuting Attorney, Maui Prosecuting Attorney, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, The Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Mothers Against Drunk Driving HAWAII, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and three individuals.  Comments were received from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     Your Committee finds that chapter 801D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, provides crime victims and witnesses with the right, upon request, to be notified of changes in the custody status of the offender.  However, due to a lack of timely notice, numerous crime victims have been unable to exercise their right to speak at the offender's parole hearing and have been further traumatized psychologically and emotionally.  Many of these victims have been in danger of being further victimized when the defendant was paroled or had escaped.

     This measure enables the statewide automated victim identification and notification system to become permanent and establishes a special fund as a source of dedicated funding from a percentage of revenue from inmate commissary purchases, as well as

inmate phone usage revenues.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2581, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2581, 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, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair