STAND. COM. REP. NO.  260-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2242

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2242 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIME,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update various criminal offenses relating to the falsification of a written statement, document, or record by making the offenses applicable to electronic versions of those statements, documents, or records.

     The Department of the Attorney General provided testimony in support of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that many government and business records are kept in electronic form.  However, the current law prohibits only the alteration of records kept in written form.  Amending the penal code sections involving falsifying business records, obtaining a government-issued identification document under false pretenses, tampering with a government record, and making unsworn falsification to authorities, to include electronic records will allow government agencies to investigate and prosecute offenders who submit false statements or documents electronically or tamper with electronic records.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2242 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair