STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3161

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2353

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2353, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the 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.

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

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Public First Law Center and League of Women Voters of Hawaii.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Information Practices and one individual.

Your Committee finds that there are several working groups and commissions that focus on gun violence, violent crime, and criminal data sharing, including the Governor's Commission on Crime, Criminal Justice Data Sharing Working Group, and Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission. Your Committee further finds that the abundance of working groups dedicated to firearms creates a burden on public servants who attend overlapping and often redundant meetings. This measure will increase efficiency and effectiveness by merging the Criminal Justice Data Sharing Working Group and the Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission to consolidate their efforts.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have exempted the Criminal Justice Data Sharing and Research Group from the Sunshine Law;

(2) Adding language to allow the Criminal Justice Data Sharing and Research Group to assemble a special closed session for the protection of individually identifiable criminal justice data;

(3) Making it effective upon its approval; and

(4) 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 Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2353, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2353, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair