STAND. COM. REP. NO.  667-24

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2024

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2353

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2353 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE DATA SHARING GROUPS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Amend the Criminal Justice Data Sharing Working Group to combine its members and functions with certain members and functions of the Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission to increase efficiency and effectiveness and eliminate redundancy; and

 

     (2)  Repeal chapter 134C, Hawaii Revised Statutes, which established the Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Law Enforcement.

 

     Your Committee finds that there is some overlap between the purpose and membership of the Criminal Justice Data Sharing Working Group and the Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission.  This measure would eliminate the redundancy between the two groups and prevent certain members from having to attend multiple, overlapping meetings.  Your Committee however finds that this measure, as it is currently drafted, would consolidate the two groups under the Criminal Justice Data Sharing Working Group, which is a temporary group set to expire on July 1, 2029.  Since criminal justice data sharing is an ongoing concern, your Committee believes that it would be better to consolidate the two groups under a new group that is permanently established in statute.  Your Committee also believes that it is imperative that the new group be exempt from Hawaii's open meetings law to ensure that it can carry out its responsibilities efficiently.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Establishing the permanent Criminal Justice Data Sharing and Research Group to consolidate the efforts of the Criminal Justice Data Sharing Working Group and the Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission;

 

     (2)  Exempting the Criminal Justice Data Sharing and Research Group from Hawaii's open meetings laws;

 

     (3)  Repealing Act 157, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, which established the Criminal Justice Data Sharing Working Group;

 

     (4)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     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 H.B. No. 2353, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2353, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 


 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair