STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2714

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.B. No. 2844

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

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. 2844 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR CLAIMS AGAINST THE STATE, ITS OFFICERS, OR ITS EMPLOYEES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make appropriations for claims against the State, its officers, and its employees.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Transportation, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that, based on the testimony submitted by the Department of the Attorney General, this measure as received by your Committee requests a total of $1,027,941.54 in appropriations from the general fund to satisfy seven claims against the State.  Your Committee further finds that the timely passage of this measure will minimize the State's obligation to pay interest on that amount.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Providing that the payments for the claims against the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Public Safety shall be paid from funds appropriated to that respective department in section 3 of Act 5, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019;

 

     (2)  Appropriating $2,543.46 in general funds to settle four additional claims;

 

     (3)  Approving the payment of $130,000.00 in general funds for a settlement in the case of Zhang v. State of Hawaii, et al., Civil No. 19-1-0824-05, First Circuit; provided that the funds shall be paid out of the Department of Education's fiscal year 2019-2020 budget;

 

     (4)  Changing the references to Ching et al. v. Case, et al., and Keauhou Canoe Club v. Department of Land and Natural Resources, et al., to refer to each case's circuit court filing number; and

 

     (5)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for consistency and style.

 

     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. 2844, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2844, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair