STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2451

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2150

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2150 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate supplemental funds for the operating and capital improvement costs of the Judiciary for the fiscal biennium beginning July 1, 2017, and ending June 30, 2019.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary; the Hawaii State Bar Association; Hoomana Pono, LLC; the Kauai Bar Association; the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii; the West Hawaii Bar Association; and one individual.

 

OPERATING BUDGET

 

     Positions and Related Costs

 

     Your Committee notes with particular concern the urgent need for family court resources, and has therefore decided to approve the Judiciary's requested funding for family court judges, related positions, and attendant costs in both the first judicial circuit on Oahu and in the fifth judicial circuit on Kauai.

 

     For the second judicial circuit on Maui, your Committee has decided to approve the funding request for drug court and the addition of 0.5 permanent positions for janitorial services for Lahaina District Court.  Your Committee has also decided to approve funding for two out of the three requested social worker positions, along with a pro rata portion of the necessary costs associated with those positions.

 

     For the third judicial circuit on Hawaii island, your Committee has decided to approve the request for four permanent janitorial and facilities manager positions and two permanent positions and funds for bailiffs.

 

     As additional program appropriations in the first judicial circuit on Oahu, your Committee has approved the requested temporary-to-permanent conversions of twelve positions for the Interagency Council on Intermediate Sanctions and the Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement program, commonly known as the HOPE program.

 

     Civil Legal Services

 

     Additionally, although not included in the supplemental budget request from the Judiciary for fiscal year 2018-2019, your Committee has decided to add a new program appropriation in JUD601 for $250,000 in general funds for the purpose of purchasing civil legal services.  Your Committee notes that this addition to the supplemental budget request is consistent with previous Judiciary budget acts, prior to fiscal year 2017-2018, and will provide much needed assistance to legal service organizations, including Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii and the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii.  Your Committee notes that this amount is a first estimate for this appropriation and may not reflect the entire needs of these organizations.

 

 

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET

 

     With respect to capital improvement projects, at this time your Committee has decided to approve the Judiciary's request for $5,800,000 in funding for furnishings and equipment for the Kona Judiciary Complex.  Your Committee also approves funding in the amount of $1,200,000 for upgrades and modernization of Kaahumanu Hale on Oahu, noting that this amount may serve to begin the extensive work necessary for that facility, particularly for the alarm system.  Finally, your Committee has decided to approve $1,000,000 as a lump sum for improvements to Judiciary facilities statewide.

 

     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 S.B. No. 2150, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2150, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

________________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair