STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1025-20
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2020
RE: S.B. No. 2383
S.D. 1
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 Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2383, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LESS THAN LETHAL FORCE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The
purpose of this measure is to
support the role of public safety officers by:
(1) Requiring the Department of Public Safety to review its policies and procedures governing the use of force, weapons, and equipment;
(2) Requiring the Law Enforcement Standards Board to review the Department's use of force training; and
(3) Appropriating funds for training, equipment, and related records management for the Department.
Your Committee finds that public safety officers are in a position of public trust as the guardians and protectors of the State's communities. Your Committee also finds that since 2015, the number of fatal shootings in Hawaii by law enforcement officers has more than doubled and that it has risen from less than one percent of the national total to two percent in 2019.
Your
Committee further finds that requiring the Department of Public Safety to
review and update, at least annually, its policies and procedures concerning
the use of force, weapons, and equipment, and requiring the Department's use of
force training to be reviewed by the Law Enforcement Standards Board will help
to ensure the appropriateness of these policies, procedures, and training, and
assist in promoting public confidence in these tools.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Deleting the requirement that each law enforcement officer be equipped with less than lethal weapons and receive associated training;
(2) Deleting the specific examples of the types of use of force training to be included by the Department of Public Safety;
(3) Deleting the requirement that the Deputy Director of the Department's Law Enforcement Division be included and certified in all weapons training;
(4) Advancing the reporting requirement deadline to December 1, 2020;
(5) Deleting appropriations for training and related records management, and purchase and maintenance of less than lethal equipment; and
(6) 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 Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2383, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2383, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs,
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____________________________ GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair |
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