STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2146

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2390

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2390 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Increase the number of associate judges on the Intermediate Court of Appeals from five to six; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Hawaii State Bar Association, Hawaii State Bar Association's Appellate Section, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the Intermediate Court of Appeals expects a significant increase in its caseloads as the trial courts dispose of their backlogs of civil, criminal, and family cases. This backlog is significantly acute in civil cases requesting jury trials or involving out-of-state witnesses or extensive exhibits for evidentiary purposes; criminal cases with constitutional considerations; and certain family cases involving imminent danger. Many of these matters are high priority cases. Your Committee further finds that adding another Intermediate Court of Appeals associate judge would enable the Judiciary to resolve more appeals expeditiously and address the foreseeable backlog of cases from the trial courts.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making an appropriation of $86,688 for the establishment of one permanent full time equivalent judicial assistance position;

(2) Making an appropriation of $134,400 for the establishment of two permanent full time equivalent law clerk positions;

(3) Making an appropriation of $42,450 for equipment, books, and furniture for the new associate judge's chambers;

(4) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2022; and

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

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. 2390, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2390, 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,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair