STAND. COM. REP. NO. 526-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2291

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2291 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SAFETY ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish within the Department of the Attorney General a program responsible for issuing firearm qualification certifications to qualified law enforcement officers pursuant to the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-277), codified at title 18 United States Code section 926C.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act certification program, retired officers may be certified only if they each pass standardized firearms qualification testing, medical exams every two years, and a mental health clearance every year. This measure will authorize the Department of the Attorney General to issue firearms qualification certifications to qualified retired law enforcement officers and to adopt rules, exempt from the public hearing and notice requirements of Chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for that purpose.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2291, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2291, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair