STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2403

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2428

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2428 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Chief of Police or Director of Public Safety to deny employment to a candidate for a state or county law enforcement officer position if the candidate's previous position as a law enforcement officer was terminated while the officer was in poor employment standing; and

(2) Require background checks for prospective state and county law enforcement officers.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from four individuals.

Your Committees find that the hiring of high-quality employees for state and county law enforcement is vital to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Existing law does not require prospective state and county law enforcement officers to undergo background checks, nor does existing law prohibit the hiring of individuals who may have been dismissed from a previous law enforcement position while in poor employment standing. Your Committees find that the lack of these guidelines and requirements allow for the possibility of hiring unqualified law enforcement officers, thereby placing the public at risk. Therefore, your Committees find that proper guidelines in the form of required prior employment background checks and a prohibition on the hiring of individuals who were terminated from a previous law enforcement position while in poor employment standing are necessary to ensure public confidence and safety.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2428 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair