STAND. COM. REP. NO.  584

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 87

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 87 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure public safety at public housing projects.  Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Expands the offense of criminal trespass in the first degree to include a person who enters or remains unlawfully in or upon the premises of a public housing project after a reasonable warning or request to leave by housing authorities or a police officer;

     (2)  Excludes from the offense of criminal trespass in the first degree a guest invited by a resident of the public housing project, unless the guest is violating a law or a rule; and

     (3)  Adds definitions of "housing authorities" and "invited guest".

The Hawaii Public Housing Authority supported this measure.  The Office of the Public Defender and American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii opposed this measure.  The Department of the Attorney General offered comments on the measure.  

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 87 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair