STAND. COM. REP. NO. 402-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 1965

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1965, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS TREATMENT COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to recognize and address the unique needs of veterans entering the criminal justice system on the Island of Hawaii by:

(1) Authorizing the conversion of a temporary Social Worker IV position to a permanent position and establishing an additional permanent Social Worker IV position within the Judiciary to support the veterans treatment court in the Third Circuit; and

(2) Appropriating funds to the Judiciary for those positions.

The Judiciary, Office of Veterans Services, County of Hawaii Mayor, County of Hawaii Council Vice Chair, a County of Hawaii Council Member, Big Island Substance Abuse Council, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, The CHOW Project, and three individuals testified in support of this measure. The Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amount from $105,912 to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 1965, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1965, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO, Chair