STAND. COM. REP. NO. 475-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2169

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Corrections, Military, & Veterans, to which was referred H.B. No. 2169 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE OFFENDER REENTRY SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify that the Department of Public Safety's role is to work with the Department of Transportation and county Examiners of Drivers to assist certain inmates in obtaining civil identification cards necessary to transition into the workforce, access social services, and secure housing, rather than to actually issue civil identification cards.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, and Women's Prison Project. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawai‘i Correctional System Oversight Commission and Common Cause Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that having a civil identification card is essential to eliminating many barriers for inmates exiting prison to integrate back into the community. This measure will clarify the role of the Department of Public Safety in supporting this tool to reentry.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee also requests that subsequent committees hearing this measure consider how it will interface with automatic voter registration, if at all, as established by Act 126, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021 (Act 126). Section 1 of Act 126, codified at section 11-15.7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, provides that an application for voter registration shall be a part of the application for issuance of an identification card under section 286-303, Hawaii Revised Statutes. Your Committee notes that it does not intend to interfere with or impede any automatic voter registration efforts through this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Corrections, Military, & Veterans that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2169, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2169, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Corrections, Military, & Veterans,

____________________________

TAKASHI OHNO, Chair