STAND. COM. REP. NO. 125

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 839

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 839 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS TO THE LEGISLATURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Amend the reporting deadline for annual police department reports regarding incidents of misconduct of police officers and specify that the reporting period is January 1 to December 31 of the previous year; and

     (2)  Require the annual police department reports to include descriptions of each incident of police misconduct reported.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Media Council Hawaii and the Society of Professional Journalists, Hawaii Chapter.

     Your Committee finds that the detailed disclosure of police misconduct reports to the Legislature increases government transparency and accountability for members of Hawaii's police forces.  Furthermore, delaying the reporting deadline to January 31 of each year and specifying a reporting period of January 1 to December 31 of the previous year should ensure that annual reports do not leave out information on incidents that occurred during the month of December.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 839 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair