STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3049

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2279

       H.D. 2

       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. 2279, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR CLAIMS AGAINST THE STATE, ITS OFFICERS, OR ITS EMPLOYEES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an appropriation to satisfy several claims against the State, its officers, or its employees, including claims for legislative relief, judgments against the State, settlements, and other miscellaneous claims.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

     Your Committee finds that this measure requests a total of $4,647,122.20 in appropriations from the general fund to satisfy ten claims against the State and a total of $700,000 in appropriations from the state highway fund to satisfy two claims against the State.  The grand total for the twelve claims settled in this measure as received by your Committee is $5,347,122.20.  Timely passage of this measure will minimize the State's obligation to pay interest on those amounts.

     Your Committee notes the written testimony submitted by the Department of the Attorney General, which requests the addition of five new claims that have been resolved since this measure was introduced.  These five additions require a total of $5,273,598.58 in appropriations from the general fund.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding general fund appropriations for five claims totaling $5,273,598.58, as requested by the Department of the Attorney General, which increases the grand total amount of appropriations in this measure to $10,620,720.78 in order to satisfy a total of seventeen claims against the State, its officers, or its employees; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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. 2279, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2279, H.D. 2, 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,

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair