STAND. COM. REP. NO. 955

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 602

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 602 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to expressly provide conditions under which all parcels under the jurisdiction of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) and authority offices and facilities may be closed to the public.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

Your Committee finds that the mission of HPHA is to provide affordable housing that is decent, safe, and sanitary for Hawaii's communities. Your Committee further finds that parking areas and vacant land parcels under the jurisdiction of HPHA are often vandalized or damaged and that tenants of HPHA property are often forced to cope with litter, trash, and excessive noise in the parking areas of that property. According to testimony received by your Committee, these incidents often arise due to the presence of uninvited individuals. By including any parcels owned by the HPHA as areas that may be closed to the public, this measure allows the offense of trespassing on HPHA property to be prosecuted as criminal trespass in the second degree, thereby empowering HPHA to mitigate or eliminate the presence of uninvited individuals and fulfill its mission to provide a safe environment for its tenants, staff, and surrounding community.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 602 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair