STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2792

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3008

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3008 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide impoverished family court litigants with alternatives to serving notices of judicial proceedings by publication.

More specifically, this measure allows these parties to serve notice by posting pleadings at the courthouse and sending the pleadings to the defendant's or respondent's last known address and closest known relative, subject to:

     (1)  Court order; and

     (2)  Demonstration of a diligent search for the defendant or respondent.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that recent price increases for newspaper classifieds have been particularly challenging for impoverished litigants who are unable to locate the opposing party and must serve notice of the judicial proceeding by publication in a newspaper.  This measure would help alleviate this financial burden on impoverished litigants and increase access to family court processes.

     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 S.B. No. 3008 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair