STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1751

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 601

S.D. 1

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. 601, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require law enforcement to post notice that a warranted or warrantless search has been conducted on a property;

(2) Require a law enforcement officer to secure any entrance used by an officer in the search;

(3) Allow the breaking of any doors, gates, other bars to the entrance, closets, and other closed places during a search when reasonable and other means of entering the space are not reasonable; and

(4) Require law enforcement agencies to develop a policy for securing the entrances to a house, store, or other building designated as a place to be searched after a search is completed.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender; Honolulu Police Department; and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Police Department; Aloha Freedom Coalition; Hawaii Patriot Republicans; Hawaiian Islands Republican Women; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that this measure will ensure residents are properly informed when a search has been conducted by the police on their private residence.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Codifying the requirement that law enforcement agencies develop a policy for securing the entrances to a house, store, or other building designated as a place to be searched after a search is completed;

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

(3) 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. 601, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 601, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair