STAND. COM. REP. NO.  534

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 691

      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. 691 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE VETERANS TREATMENT COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds:

     (1)  To be expended by the Judiciary to support the Veterans Treatment Court; and

     (2)  For a grant-in-aid to the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu to hire necessary staff to support the Veterans Treatment Court.

The State Office of Veterans Services, The Judiciary, County of Hawaii Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Kauai Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, and several individuals testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the grant-in-aid to the City and County of Honolulu shall be expended by its Department of the Prosecuting Attorney; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, 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. 691, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 691, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO, Chair