STAND. COM. REP. NO.  257

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1517

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 1517 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MINIMUM TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide for more informed sentencing decisions and to reduce the burden on victims and their surviving family members by requiring the sentencing judge, instead of the Hawaii paroling authority, to determine the minimum term of imprisonment that a convicted offender must serve before becoming eligible for parole.

The Department of Public Safety, Hawaii Paroling Authority, Ho‘omana Pono, LLC, Hawaii Innocence Project, and two concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Crime Victim Compensation Commission, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Hawaii, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Kauai, and Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence opposed this measure.  The Judiciary offered comments.  

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1517 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair