STAND. COM. REP. NO. 439

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1298

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1298 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR APPOINTED OFFICERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to eliminate the one–year residency requirement for appointment to a county chief of police position.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu Police Commission.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals.

Your Committee finds that employing highly qualified law enforcement officers is essential for the health, safety, and welfare of the public.  The need for highly-qualified individuals is especially important in law enforcement leadership positions.  Given the difficulties in recruiting and retaining the best and most highly-qualified individuals for law enforcement leadership positions, it is important to remove barriers that further reduce the available pool of hirable individuals.  Accordingly, this measure provides an exemption from the one-year state residency requirement for individuals appointed as the head of a county police department.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1298 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair