STAND. COM. REP. NO.698

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 611

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 611 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COURT APPOINTED COUNSEL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the hourly rate for both in-court and out-of-court services of court appointed counsel in criminal cases and also increase certain maximum fees for court appointed counsel.

Your Committee finds that the statutory rate of fees for court appointed counsel has not been changed for fifteen years and that the Judiciary is finding it increasingly difficult to find competent court appointed legal counsel at the present rates.

Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the specific amounts of proposed compensation to facilitate continuing discussion on this matter.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 611, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 611, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair