STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3539

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2121

       H.D. 3

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2121, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, 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 moneys for the purchase of civil legal services for low- and moderate-income persons.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, and twelve individuals.

     Your Committee finds that many citizens cannot afford an attorney to help navigate through the court system for civil matters.  Civil legal services providers offer assistance and equal access to justice to the most vulnerable members of our community.  However, many civil legal service providers have extremely limited resources.  Your Committee believes that providing funding for civil legal services will increase the number of low- and moderate-income persons who receive legal assistance in the State and promote equity in the judicial system.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the appropriation from $2,159,632 to an unspecified amount to facilitate further discussion.

     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. 2121, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2121, H.D. 3, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair