STAND. COM. REP. 193

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 1221

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1221 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE GARNISHMENT OF COMMITTED PERSONS' MONEYS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Department of Public Safety to garnish the wages of convicted defendants to satisfy court-ordered crime compensation fee requirements.

Presently, section 351-62.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires the courts to impose a compensation fee on convicted defendants. The fee is then deposited into the crime victim compensation special fund and used by the crime victim compensation commission to compensate victims of violent crimes.

The problem with this process is that the Department of Public Safety - which has charge over inmates, does not have the statutory authority to garnish inmate wages to pay the crime victim compensation fees. This bill will provide the Department of Public Safety with that authority.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1221 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

 

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair