STAND. COM. REP. NO.  806

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 792

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 792, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EVIDENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the Hawaii Rules of Evidence to authorize nonresident misdemeanor or petty misdemeanor property crime victims to testify in criminal proceedings by a live two-way video connection.  

The Council Chair of the Kauai County Council; Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Chair and Council Member of the Kauai County Council; Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Kauai; and the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Maui, testified in support of this measure.  The Judiciary testified in opposition to this measure.  

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 792, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 792, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair