STAND. COM. REP. NO. 918

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 361

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 361, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

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

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Judiciary, State Council on Mental Health, Institute for Human Services, Opportunity for Youth Action Hawaii, and three individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that the Community Outreach Court has been a highly successful pilot project. Your Committee believes that permanently establishing the court in the District Court of the First Circuit will provide a beneficial alternative to traditional legal proceedings, help prevent unnecessary and costly entanglements with the criminal justice system, and help ensure that court participants receive appropriate support.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making amendments recommended by the Department of the Attorney General. Specifically:

(A) Amending the definition of "prosecuting attorney" to remove references to the Attorney General and Deputy Attorneys General;

(B) Deleting the Department of the Attorney General from the parties that may enter into plea agreement negotiations; and

(C) Deleting the appropriation in section 7 of the measure for one full-time Deputy Attorney General tasked with duties for the Community Outreach Court; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive edits for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 361, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 361, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair