STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1376-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2420

      S.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 S.B. No. 2420, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD CHECKS FOR STATE AND COUNTY EMPLOYEES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to promote public safety and information security by:

     (1)  Authorizing the counties to conduct criminal history record checks on prospective employees who work with children in community-based programs;

     (2)  Updating references to adults or citizens who are dependent or disabled in the criminal history record check authorization statute to "vulnerable" adults or citizens;

     (3)  Authorizing the State and counties to conduct criminal history record checks on employees, prospective employees, volunteers, and contractors whose positions require unescorted access to secured areas and equipment related to a traffic management center;

     (4)  Authorizing the State and counties to conduct criminal history record checks on employees and prospective employees for positions involving the handling of firearms for other than law enforcement purposes, and exempting the State and county from restrictions that:

          (A)  Allow these conviction record inquiries only after a prospective employee has received a conditional job offer; and

          (B)  Limit these inquiries to the most recent ten-year period; and

     (5)  Authorizing the State and counties to conduct criminal history record checks on current and prospective analysts and others involved in an agency's information technology operation whose position provides them with access to proprietary, sensitive, or confidential information.

     The Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Transportation; City and County of Honolulu, Department of Human Resources; Honolulu Emergency Services Department; and Honolulu Police Department testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission provided comments.

     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 S.B. No. 2420, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair