CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 121

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 304

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 304, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to enable the Adult Client Services Branch to move toward the recommended national best practice standards for community supervision by establishing positions and appropriating funds for the Adult Client Services Branch of the First Circuit.

Your Committee on Conference finds that in 2024, the American Probation and Parole Association published national standards for community supervision. However, due to probation officers in the First Circuit supervising diverse caseloads which are comprised of multiple types of cases that include intensive risk to administrative risk cases, these standards are unattainable with existing staffing at the Adult Client Services Branch. This measure will enable the Adult Client Services Branch to move toward the recommended national best practice standards for community supervision.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an appropriation amount of $739,440 for the fiscal biennium to establish permanent positions in the Adult Client Services Branch of the First Circuit, including:

(A) $73,836 each for eight full-time equivalent (8.0 FTE) probation officer positions;

(B) $50,880 for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) social worker position; and

(C) $48,936 each for two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) clerk positions;

(2) Inserting an appropriation amount of $140,000 for the fiscal biennium for operating expenses for the Adult Client Services Branch of the First Circuit;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2025; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 304, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 304, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS Co-Chair	____________________________ KARL RHOADS Chair
____________________________ LISA KITAGAWA Co-Chair	____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE Co-Chair