STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1421

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 94

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 94, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY FORENSIC LABORATORIES IN THE STATE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Request the Department of the Attorney General to establish a working group to study forensic laboratories in the State and analyze specific issues; and

     (2)  Request the working group to provide an interim report and final report of its findings, recommendations, and proposed legislation, through the Attorney General, to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Sessions of 2018 and 2019, respectively.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Police Department, City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committees find that supporting the development and expanded use of forensic science by law enforcement is important for protecting the public safety and welfare.  Currently, the Honolulu Police Department has the only full-service forensic laboratory in the State, with limited facilities located at other law enforcement agencies.  This measure promotes greater public safety by examining ways in which the use of forensic science may be expanded to these other law enforcement agencies in the State.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding to the working group one representative of the private criminal defense bar;

     (2)  Specifying the chair of the Senate standing committee with primary subject matter jurisdiction over public safety and the chair of the House of Representatives standing committee with primary subject matter jurisdiction over public safety, rather than state legislators, as members of the working group; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 94, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 94, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means,

________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair

________________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair