STAND. COM. REP. NO. 780

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 723

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 723 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIFORM PARENTAGE ACT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Allow parties to a case brought under the Uniform Parentage Act to petition the court to consolidate multiple cases, motions, or petitions involving siblings with the same parents into a single petition, without having to file a new case, motion, or petition; and

 

     (2)  Require the Judiciary to post the titles of all filings and all minutes in paternity cases to the Judiciary's website after redacting any information in which an individual has a significant privacy interest.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary and Department of the Attorney General.

 

     Your Committee finds that rapid and just proceedings are vital to the busy and often time-sensitive caseload of the family court in matters of paternity.  Your Committee further finds that combining cases where appropriate can lead to efficient adjudication of matters before the court.  However, your Committee additionally finds that the court already has the power to combine cases at the court's discretion.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing the requirement that the court consolidate cases, motions, or petitions involving siblings with the same parents upon petition from parties;

 

     (2)  Establishing the same confidentiality standards with regards to records and hearings for paternity cases as other cases heard by the family court;

 

     (3)  Changing the effective date to March 15, 2094, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     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. 723, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 723, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair