CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 52

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 723

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 723, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIFORM PARENTAGE ACT,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Judiciary to post the titles of all court filings and the minutes of court proceedings in paternity cases on its website after redacting information in which an individual has a significant privacy interest and subject to certain circumstances; and

(2) Establish the same confidentiality standards for paternity cases as other cases heard by the family court.

Your Committee on Conference finds that transparency and appropriate public access to information is vital to the just disposition of the family court in matters of paternity. Your Committee on Conference further finds that the standard confidentiality procedures of the family court are sufficient to protect the privacy interests of parties and individuals in most instances.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Judiciary to redact from publicly posted court filings and minutes in paternity cases any information that has been made confidential by any statute, rule of court, or court order rather than any information in which an individual has a significant privacy interest under section 92F-14, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Inserting a savings clause;

(3) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2021; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 723, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 723, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ CHRIS LEE Co-Chair	____________________________ KARL RHOADS Chair
____________________________ CEDRIC ASUEGA GATES Co-Chair