STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2935

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2150

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. 2150 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISORDERLY CONDUCT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the offense of disorderly conduct to include engaging in any conduct with an intent to convey false or misleading information that may be reasonably believed and indicates a firearm or widely dangerous means may be used to inflict death, bodily injury, or property damage.

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

Your Committee finds that the conveyance of messages containing threats of violence, mass violence, or destruction of property using various media including the internet, is a matter of growing public concern. These messages are often intended as pranks, or are intended to disrupt services such as the operations of educational facilities, and result in the unnecessary expenditure of significant resources by law enforcement agencies. Existing law, as interpreted in recent court decisions, does not criminalize the making of false or misleading threats; thus, this measure includes such activity under the offense of disorderly conduct, a petty misdemeanor offense, providing law enforcement with a new mechanism by which to deter and otherwise hold accountable the makers of certain threats.

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. 2150 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair