STAND. COM. REP. NO. 316-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2380

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 Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2380 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMMIGRATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Judiciary to contract with nonprofit organizations to provide legal assistance and legal counsel to immigrants in determining legal status and citizenship, provide diversion to existing services, and otherwise provide counsel for existing rights.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Department of Human Services, Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii, Filipina Advocacy Network, The Legal Clinic, and eight individuals.

Your Committee finds that testimony submitted by the Filipina Advocacy Network and an individual suggested appropriating the funds to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Office of Community Services rather than the Judiciary. Your Committee notes that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Office of Community Services assists Hawaii's low-income, immigrant and refugee populations overcome and alleviate workforce barriers to economic self-sufficiency through an array of community-based programs and services. Should your Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure further, your Committee on Judiciary respectfully requests that it consider whether the funds should be appropriated to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Office of Community Services or Judiciary.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, 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. 2380, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2380, 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