STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1331

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 361

S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 361, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to permanently establish and appropriate funds for the Community Outreach Court as a division of the District Court of the First Circuit.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary; Department of Human Services; Department of Law Enforcement; State Council on Mental Health; Office of the Public Defender; Waikiki Neighborhood Board; Opportunity for Youth Action Hawaiʻi Kawailoa; Institute for Human Services, Inc.; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that since its inception, the Community Court Outreach Project has held several court sessions across Oahu. Through these sessions, the Community Court Outreach Project has addressed more than ten thousand cases, recalled more than nine hundred bench warrants, lifted more than seven thousand driver license stoppers, and assisted more than six hundred participants with social services or referrals. This measure would further support the Community Court Outreach Project and provide much needed resources and funding to assist the Court's clients and operations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 S.B. No. 361, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 361, S.D. 2, 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