STAND. COM. REP. NO.  590

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1326

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1326 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the threshold value for theft in the second degree, felony theft of property or services, from $300 to $750.  The measure also provides for an automatic two percent annual increase of the threshold value.

The Office of the Public Defender, Community Alliance on Prisons, and several concerned individuals testified in support of the measure.  The Department of the Attorney General, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Kaua‘i, Aloha Petroleum, Ltd., The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Kevin J. Mulkern ALLC, Inc., and several concerned individuals testified in opposition.

     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. 1326 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair