STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3155

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2118

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2118 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISCRETIONARY TRANSFERS TO THE SUPREME COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow child custody appeals to be transferred from the Intermediate Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court, except in cases brought under the Child Protective Act.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary.

Your Committee finds that under existing law, litigants in child custody matters, other than matters involving the termination of parental rights, are required to wait until the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA) issues a decision before being able to file an application for certiorari with the Supreme Court. This measure would allow for expedited resolution of child custody matters by enabling the litigants to bypass the ICA and apply for transfer directly to the Supreme Court.

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 S.B. No. 2118 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair