STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2707

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2954

       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 Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2954, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FIREARMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center to access firearm registration data.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Police Department, City and County of Honolulu; BradyHawaii; and two individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from eleven individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the accurate and timely sharing of firearms registration information among counties is critical to ensure the safety of the community.  Although each county currently maintains its own firearms registration information, there is no existing mechanism to share the data.  Implementation of this measure will enable law enforcement agencies to quickly access critical information when checking on individuals involved in an incident and enhance officer and public safety.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting language to require county police departments to perform an inquiry on a firearm applicant who is bringing a firearm into the State, using the Criminal Justice Information System and National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, including the Immigration and Naturalization Service query therein, National Crime Information Center, and pursuant to section 846-2.7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, in addition to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, before any determination to register the firearm is made;

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion; and

     (3)  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 S.B. No. 2954, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2954, S.D. 2.

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

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair