STAND. COM. REP. NO.  891

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   H.B. No. 631

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 631 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FINANCIAL HARDSHIP,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Provide judges with greater discretion to adjust the payment of fees or fines for violations of certain traffic offenses based on a person's inability to pay or financial circumstances;

 

     (2)  Decrease the imprisonment term to contumacious nonpayment ratio; and

 

     (3)  Increase the amount of credit given to a person committed for contumacious nonpayment.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Kauai and four individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary and Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu.


     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 631, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 631, H.D. 1.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair