STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1261-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2087

S.D. 2

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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2087, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE VICTIM WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu as a grant-in-aid for the Victim Witness Assistance Program, including the hiring of necessary staff.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu; Mahikū A‘o Mai, LLC; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the funding provided by this measure will help guide victims, witnesses, and surviving family members through the criminal justice system.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2222, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider appropriating funds for victim witness assistance programs in the other counties.

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 S.B. No. 2087, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2087, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, 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