STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1257

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 68

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 68, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish a centralized statewide criminal pretrial justice data reporting and collection system pursuant to state law.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Department of the Attorney General, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, Women's Prison Project, Opportunity Youth Action Hawai‘i, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that criminal justice research is critical to address the questions and pressing needs of policymakers, decision-makers, and the community on criminal justice matters. This is particularly an issue when seeking research on dynamic populations and trends such as those related to jails and pretrial procedures. The research that is needed to allow these stakeholders to make timely and informed data-driven decisions about Hawai‘i's criminal justice system is not possible without a pretrial database and reporting system. This measure will establish a centralized statewide criminal pretrial justice data reporting and collection system that will allow for better decision-making and planning.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Stipulating that ongoing staff support for the centralized statewide criminal pretrial justice data reporting and collection system be conducted by the Criminal Justice Research Institute's staff and not be contracted to another entity;

(2) Requiring the Criminal Justice Research Institute to protect any information and data that may be shared;

(3) Requiring the Criminal Justice Research Institute to submit a semi-annual report regarding the creation of the centralized statewide criminal pretrial justice data reporting and collection system to the Legislature for two years;

(4) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

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

Your Committee notes that the Senate Draft 1 of this measure contains an unspecified appropriation amount. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it considers inserting an appropriation amount of $1,372,864 for fiscal year 2023-2024 and $1,030,868 for fiscal year 2024-2025.

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 H.B. No. 68, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 68, H.D. 1, 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