STAND. COM. REP. NO. 172

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 131

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. 131 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WEED AND SEED STRATEGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds as a grant to Empower O‘ahu to maintain and expand the weed and seed strategy for reclaiming and restoring local communities.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and twenty-four individuals.

Your Committee finds that the United States Department of Justice's weed and seed strategy is a proven strategy for preventing, controlling, and reducing violent crime and drug abuse.  The strategy calls for local law enforcement to "weed out" the criminal element in neighborhoods then for public agencies and private entities to work together to "seed" the communities with human services that include prevention, intervention, treatment, and neighborhood revitalization.  The strategy has been implemented successfully in the Kalihi-Palama and Chinatown areas of downtown Honolulu, and those successes warrant an expansion of the program into other communities.  Accordingly, this measure appropriates $400,000 as a grant to Empower O‘ahu to maintain and expand the weed and seed strategy.

     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. 131 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means.

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