STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2178

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 1539

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1539, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATED TO BAIL HEARINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Codify the right to a prompt bail hearing upon formal charge and detention; and

(2) Establish the right to counsel at bail hearings.

The Judiciary, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, Hawai‘i Friends of Restorative Justice, LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and a few individuals testified in support of this measure. The Sex Abuse Treatment Center testified in opposition to this measure. The Community Alliance on Prisons provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the preamble to this measure; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for 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 S.B. No. 1539, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1539, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair