STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1669

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1377

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1377, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CITATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the electronic citation program.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes an electronic citation surcharge of $2 that shall be charged to persons who receive certain traffic, misdemeanor, or other citations;

(2) Establishes the electronic citation program within the Judiciary;

(3) Establishes an electronic citation special fund; and

(4) Appropriates moneys to the Judiciary for start-up costs associated with the electronic citation program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Judiciary, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Maui, Hawaii Police Department, Honolulu Police Department, Maui Police Department, and Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Kauai.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that establishing and implementing an electronic citation program will help to resolve handwriting legibility issues associated with physical citations, eliminate the need to collect and scan paper citations, and decrease delays in traffic case initiation and a motorist's ability to pay applicable fines and fees online. Further, your Committee believes that it is necessary to increase the electronic citation surcharge amount from $2 to $5 to ensure that the electronic citation program is self-sustaining.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Increasing the electronic citation surcharge amount from $2 to $5;

(2) Replacing a reference to "county police departments" with a reference to "law enforcement agencies" to require that moneys in the electronic citation special fund be distributed by the Judiciary to the respective law enforcement agencies and clerk of the court; and

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1377, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1377, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair