STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3034

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2392

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2392, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve access to the legal system by appropriating moneys for the Judiciary to purchase civil legal services for low- and moderate- income persons.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Department of Human Services, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, Hawaii Justice Foundation, The Legal Clinic, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, and two individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the moneys appropriated by this measure will allow the Judiciary to support the few nonprofit and volunteer organizations in the State that provide quality legal services to persons for whom these services otherwise would be prohibitively expensive.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation from $750,000 to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2392, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2392, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair