STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2564

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2551

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 S.B. No. 2551 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NON-GENERAL FUNDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Judiciary to submit annual reports to the Legislature on the Judiciary's management of non-general funds.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

     Your Committee finds that Auditor's report no. 15-16, "Review of Special Funds, Revolving Funds, Trust Funds, and Trust Accounts of the Judiciary," indicated that section 37-47, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which requires executive branch departments to submit annual reports to the Legislature on their management of non-general funds, does not apply to the Judiciary.

     Your Committee further finds that the Judiciary should be required to submit information on all non-general funds under its management to the Legislature.  Your Committee believes that this information is necessary for a complete understanding of the State's fiscal situation, and this, in turn, will allow the Legislature to make sound budgetary decisions.

     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 S.B. No. 2551 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair