STAND. COM. REP. NO.  285-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1717

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 1717 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE RETENTION OF BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish guidelines and limitations for the post-conviction retention of biological evidence by law enforcement agencies and the courts.

The Department of the Attorney General; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Maui; Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Kauai; Police Chiefs of Hawaii Association; Maui Police Department; and Hawaii Police Department testified in support of this measure.  The Community Alliance on Prisons testified in opposition to this measure.  The Judiciary provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date of this measure to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of 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 H.B. No. 1717, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1717, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair