STAND. COM. REP. NO. 290

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 399

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 399 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISTRICT COURT JUDGES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish an additional district court judgeship in the First Circuit.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary; Office of the Public Defender; Hawaii State Bar Association; Collection Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association; and Hawaii Financial Services Association.

Your Committee finds that the population and legal issues facing the City and County of Honolulu have significantly increased since the last District Court judge was authorized over forty years ago. Authorizing an additional District Court judge will allow the District Court to better manage court dockets, be more responsive to the needs of the community, increase capacity in the rural courts, and develop or expand specialized court calendars.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) 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. 399, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 399, 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,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair