STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1335-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 3046

S.D. 1

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. 3046, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation to the Department of the Attorney General for use in major litigation involving the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the Department of the Attorney General is statutorily tasked with representing the State in all civil matters in which the State is a party. Your Committee further finds that the Department must retain expert witnesses and specialized legal counsel to vigorously defend several ongoing civil litigations. This measure will ensure that the Department has the necessary funds to carry out its statutory duty to defend the State in all civil matters.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Extending the lapsing date of the appropriation to June 30, 2023; 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 $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2021-2022 to be used by the Department of the Attorney General in major litigation involving the State.

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. 3046, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3046, S.D. 1, 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