STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1406

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.C.R. No. 30

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 30 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMISSION TO ASSEMBLE VARIOUS STATE AND COMMUNITY ENTITIES TO DETERMINE WHICH AGENCY OR ORGANIZATION SHOULD ADMINISTER FUNDING FOR CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES TO THE LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure requests the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission to assemble a working group of interested government agencies and community entities to conduct meetings to develop a plan for determining which agency or organization should administer funding for civil legal services

Legal Aid Society, the Access to Justice Commission, and the Office of Community Services testified in support.  There was no testimony in opposition.  

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)Established a more thorough background and history of the role and importance civil legal services have played in society; and

(2)Corrected the source of funding as from the general fund to grant-in-aid funding; and

(3)Established that members of the working group may include other members as deemed necessary by the Access to Justice Commission; and

(4)Insert language that states that by being a member of the working group does not deem you a state employee based solely on working group membership; and

(5)Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 30, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 30, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair