STAND. COM. REP. NO. 614

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 903

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 903 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the financial disparity imposed on low-income individuals by:

(1) Requiring the Judiciary to implement a program that offers a person the option of entering into either a payment plan or community service plan for various court ordered costs, due to financial hardship;

(2) Prohibiting the courts from taking certain actions against a person if the person has entered into the program; and

(3) Reinstating driver's licenses that were suspended for nonpayment under certain circumstances.

The Community Alliance on Prisons, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, a member of Neighborhood Board No. 15 of the City and County of Honolulu, and several individuals supported this measure. The Judiciary opposed this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing its contents with provisions that establish a financial hardship task force within the Judiciary to examine issues related to the nonpayment of court-imposed fines and its impact on low-income individuals; and

(2) Changing the effective date to January 28, 2081, to encourage further discussion.

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. 903, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 903, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair