STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2934

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1858

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1858 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PENAL CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to protect liquor commission investigators engaged in the performance of their duties by establishing knowingly or intentionally causing bodily injury to liquor commission investigators while performing their job duties as assault in the second degree.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Liquor Commission, City and County of Honolulu; Department of Liquor Control, County of Kauai; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME, Local 152, AFL-CIO; and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that similar to other public safety individuals, liquor commission investigators often work in environments where there is a risk of assault.  As liquor commission investigators frequently work alone in alcohol-fueled environments, your Committee finds it necessary to include liquor commission investigators who are performing their job duties in the class of public safety persons protected under the offense of assault in the second degree.

     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 H.B. No. 1858 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

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

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair