STAND. COM. REP. NO. 433

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1117

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1117 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EXEMPTIONS FROM JURY DUTY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt active members of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and county emergency management agencies from jury duty.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Department of Emergency Management of the City and County of Honolulu, County of Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary.

Your Committee finds that due to the critical roles that physicians, members of the armed forces, police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service members play in ensuring the safety of the public welfare in emergency situations, these individuals are exempt from jury duty under state law. Your Committee also finds that the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and county emergency management agencies serve essential, critical, and unique roles and functions in order to provide emergency management for the State. However, active members of emergency management agencies are not exempt from jury duty under state law. Therefore, this measure ensures that active members of those agencies face no hindrances in serving in their roles.

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. 1117 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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