STAND. COM. REP. NO.  209-22

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2022

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1462

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1462 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WITNESS FEES IN CRIMINAL CASES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify the applicable expert witness fees in state criminal cases.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender and Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu.

 

     Your Committee finds that on March 2, 2017, the Department of Budget and Finance decided to discontinue reimbursements of certain expert witness fees and create new rules about when witnesses would be reimbursed.  After discussions with the Department of the Attorney General, the Governor reestablished the previous guidelines and procedures under the Governor's Administrative Directive No. 18-01.  However, since a new Governor will be elected this year, your Committee believes that further statutory clarification regarding expert witness reimbursements may be necessary.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1462 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair