STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1157-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: S.B. No. 2047

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2047, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PENAL CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Judicial Council to conduct a comprehensive review of the Hawaii Penal Code and recommend necessary amendments.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Community Alliance on Prisons.

Your Committee finds that the periodic review of the Hawaii Penal Code is essential for ensuring its continued force and effectiveness. Your Committee further finds that the scope of the Judicial Council's review should be narrowed to align with and build upon the recommendations of the Task Force on Prison Reform established pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution No. 85, S.D.1 (2016); Criminal Pretrial Task Force convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution No. 134, H.D. 1 (2017); Native Hawaiian Justice Task Force, and several other criminal justice review bodies.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the scope of the Judicial Council's review; 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 Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2047, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2047, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair