STAND. COM. REP. NO. 243

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1263

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 Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 1263 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CORRECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a moratorium on the issuance of a request for proposals and construction of any new or expanded correctional facility from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028, including the planned construction of a new facility to replace the existing Oahu Community Correctional Center; and

(2) Establish a Criminal Justice Diversion Task Force.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender; Community Alliance on Prisons; Hawaiʻi Friends of Restorative Justice; Reimagining Public Safety in Hawaiʻi Coalition; Green Party of Hawaiʻi; Imua Alliance; ʻEkolu Mea Nui; Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; Department of Accounting and General Services; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission.

Your Committee finds that there needs to be a stronger focus on rehabilitation and re-entry services to assist persons who are currently incarcerated.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the three-year moratorium;

(2) Deleting the Criminal Justice Diversion Task Force;

(3) Requiring the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish a Rehabilitation and Re-Entry Services Task Force;

(4) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation of $100,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1263, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1263, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair