STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1433

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1005

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1005, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE VETERANS TREATMENT COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys for the Veterans Treatment Court.

     More specifically, this measure appropriates moneys:

     (1)  To be expended by the Judiciary for fiscal years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017; and

     (2)  As a grant-in-aid to the City and County of Honolulu for the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney to hire necessary staff for the Veterans Treatment Court for fiscal year 2015-2016. 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Defense, Judiciary, and Office of Veterans Services.  Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu and the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that the Veterans Treatment Court provides critical services that have helped many veterans in Hawaii.  Your Committee notes that the Veterans Treatment Court program was originally funded by a three-year federal grant, which is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2015.  Your Committee believes that adequate funding for the Veterans Treatment Court is crucial to ensure the continued provision of essential support services for veterans, allow an increase in the number of veterans admitted to the program, and improve public safety by reducing crime and recidivism.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1005, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1005, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair