STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3048

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2121

       H.D. 3

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2121, H.D. 3, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEGAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Judiciary to purchase civil legal services for low- and moderate-income persons.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Hawai‘i Access to Justice Commission, Domestic Violence Action Center, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i, Volunteer Legal Services of Hawai‘i, and seven individuals.

     Your Committee finds that civil legal services are critical because these services assist in providing solutions to help families in crisis find stability and hope.  Pursuant to S.R. No. 6, S.D. 1 (Regular Session of 2015), the Hawai‘i Access to Justice Commission convened a working group of state and community entities to determine and report which agency or organization should administer funding of civil legal services to low- and moderate income persons.  This measure reflects the recommendations of the working group, and the appropriation will restore funding for civil legal services for low- and moderate income persons to pre-recession levels through contracts administered by the Judiciary.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $2,159,632, to reinstate the amount requested under H.B. No. 2121 (Regular Session of 2016) as introduced; and

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2121, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2121, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair