STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2857

                                                      Honolulu,
Hawaii
                                                                        ,
 2000

                                                              RE:
                                                      H.B. No.
2646
                                        H.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No.
2646, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRUSTS AND ESTATES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to authorize trustees to:  split
a trust into separate trusts; apply the antilapse provisions
presently applicable to wills to revocable living trusts
providing for distribution upon the settlor's death; include
trusts in a provision making anti-contest provisions
unenforceable where the contest was reasonable; change the
procedures for disposition of unclaimed assets; provide for
apportionment of expenses connected with estate taxes; and raise
the financial ceiling for small estates from $60,000 to $100,000.

     Your Committee finds that this measure would make changes to
probate law which were proposed and are supported by
practitioners in that area of law.  Your Committee believes that
this measure will make the probate process more efficient and
more accessible to those with small estates.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the
Judiciary and four attorney members of the Committee on Uniform
Probate Code and Probate Court Practices.

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2857
                                   Page 2


     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 H.B. No.
2646, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   AVERY B. CHUMBLEY, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   MATTHEW M. MATSUNAGA, Co-Chair

 
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