STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 200-22
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2022
RE: H.B. No. 2171
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. 2171 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Establish a Department of Law Enforcement to consolidate and administer criminal law enforcement and investigative functions of the State, effective upon approval;
(2) Reestablish the Department of Public Safety as an independent Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to administer the corrections, rehabilitation, and reentry of the inmate population, effective January 1, 2023;
(3) Transfer the law enforcement functions of the Department of Public Safety to the Department of Law Enforcement, effective January 1, 2023;
(4) Transfer the law enforcement functions of the Department of Transportation, the non-statutorily mandated functions of the Investigations Division of the Department of the Attorney General, and the Office of Homeland Security to the Department of Law Enforcement, effective July 1, 2023;
(5) Establish a Department of Law Enforcement training center; and
(6) Establish positions and appropriate funds to the Department of Law Enforcement and Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, effective July 1, 2022.
Your Committee finds that corrections and certain law enforcement functions and activities are currently placed within the Department of Public Safety. Your Committee recognizes that the goals and functions of corrections and law enforcement are distinct and separating the functions of the Department of Public Safety into two departments would advance these distinct goals and objectives, while allowing the corrections arm to more fully integrate strategies for rehabilitation.
Your Committee further finds that state law enforcement personnel and functions are currently spread across various departments and county agencies. Reorganizing certain state law enforcement functions into a single entity with consistent training opportunities would provide for centralized state law enforcement functions to increase public safety, improve decision making, promote accountability, and streamline communication.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Clarifying that county police departments are
able to maintain their existing level of authority and jurisdiction while remaining
subject to the standards of the Law Enforcement Standards Board;
(2) Identifying as a part of the responsibilities
of the Department of Law Enforcement, the formulation and implementation of
state policies and objectives for the security of state land;
(3) Changing
the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and
(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments
for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
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. 2171, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2171, 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,
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____________________________ TAKASHI OHNO, Chair |
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