STAND. COM. REP. NO.  603

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 888

      H.D. 1

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. 888 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREARMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make it a petty misdemeanor for an intoxicated person to recklessly possess a loaded firearm.

Two concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Institute for Rational and Evidence-based Legislation and many concerned individuals testified in opposition. The Hawaii Rifle Association and several concerned individuals provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure to:

(1)  Clarify that possession of a loaded firearm means having immediate physical control of the firearm;

(2)  Clarify that intoxication for purposes of this measure is the same standard as for the prohibition of driving under the influence; and

(3)  Change the effective date to July 1, 2015.

     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. 888, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 888, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair