STAND. COM. REP. NO.  609

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1582

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1582 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE I, SECTION 2, OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO INCLUDE ACCESS TO CLEAN DRINKING WATER, EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE AMONG THE INHERENT AND INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to propose an amendment to Hawaii's Constitution that ensures the individual rights of all people to clean drinking water, meaningful healthcare, and a quality education.

The City and County of Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Life of the Land, IMUAlliance, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, UNITE HERE Local 5, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Sierra Club of Hawaii, and several individuals testified in support of the measure.  The Department of the Attorney General, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and Navy Region Hawaii provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to encourage further discussion.

     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. 1582, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1582, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO, Chair