STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2368
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 3227
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. 3227 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRONIC CITATIONS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to:
(1) Create an electronic citation program under the Judiciary;
(2) Establish an electronic citation surcharge; and
(3) Appropriate funds.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Department of Transportation, Honolulu Police Department, and Maui Police Department. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.
Your Committee finds that the use of paper citation sometimes gives rise to difficulties including supervisors, prosecutors, and judiciary personnel having to decipher handwritten notes that are difficult to read, as well as untimely delivery of citations from law enforcement agencies to the Judiciary. These difficulties have the potential to lead to delays in access to citations and to dismissal of traffic citations. Your Committee further finds that the use of an electronic citation system resolves handwriting legibility issues and eliminates the need to collect and scan paper citations. This measure provides numerous benefits to law enforcement, the Judiciary, and the general public, including the streamlining of processes and increased access to information.
Your Committee notes that committee members question why instituting a system that is expected to save the State money is going to cost violators more money. There was also discussion regarding the privacy of the data. Also, there was a request for information relating to the costs of establishing the electronic citation program, how much revenue would be generated, and what, if any, the necessary surcharge should be.
Accordingly,
your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Removing
language that would have established an electronic citation surcharge;
(2) Clarifying
that there is established within the Judiciary a statewide electronic citation
program;
(4) Making
general fund appropriations as grants-in-aid to the counties for the purposes
of establishing the statewide electronic citation program;
(5) Making
a general fund appropriation of $51,024 to the Judiciary for the establishment
of one permanent full-time equivalent accountant position; and
(6) 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. 3227, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3227, 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,
|
|
|
________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair |
|
|
|
|