STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2598

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2156

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2156, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, with the approval of the Supreme Court, to appoint a judge or justice as the Administrative Director of the Courts for a maximum two-year term.

 

     In addition, this measure also clarifies that a judge or justice serving as the Administrative Director of the Courts will retain the same salary and benefits that the judge or justice received prior to the appointment.

 

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Judiciary.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that judges and justices acquire extensive knowledge and understanding of the Judiciary's operations while serving on the bench.  Your Committee also finds that in some cases, a judge or justice may be better prepared to fulfill the duties of the Administrative Director of the Courts than a person who is unfamiliar with the Judiciary.  Your Committee believes that the Chief Justice should have the discretion to appoint a qualified judge or justice to be the Administrative Director of the Courts without that judge or justice having to lose any salary or related benefits.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2099, to facilitate further discussion on this measure; and

 

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

 

     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. 2156, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2156, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair