STAND. COM. REP. NO.  970

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   S.B. No. 514

      S.D. 1

      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 Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 514, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THEFT OF PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a class C felony for theft of any personal electronic device that is a computer capable of storing or retrieving personal information.

The Department of the Attorney General and an individual testified in support of this measure.  The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu testified in support of this measure with amendments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the felony established by this measure shall be for the theft of any computer, rather than any personal electronic device, that contains or has access to personal information;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

     (3)  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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 514, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 514, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair