STAND. COM. REP. NO.  55-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1844

      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 Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1844 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION TO CHANGE THE THRESHOLD VALUE IN CONTROVERSY REQUIREMENT FOR JURY TRIALS IN CIVIL CASES AT COMMON LAW FROM $5,000 TO $10,000,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to propose an amendment to the Hawaii State Constitution to increase the threshold value in controversy requirement for jury trials from $5,000 to $10,000.

Two concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  One concerned individual testified in opposition to the bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments to the ballot question to ensure its clarity.

     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. 1844, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1844, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair