STAND. COM. REP. NO. 266

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1404

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1404 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMMUNITY COURT OUTREACH PROJECT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make the Community Court Outreach Project permanent and:

(1) Amend the project to specifically address defendants experiencing homelessness or who have recently experienced homelessness;

(2) Expand the opportunities for eligible defendants to participate in the project; and

(3) Appropriate funds for additional personnel and enhanced security services for the project.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Judiciary, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Public Defender, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the Community Court Outreach Project was established in 2017 as a mobile justice system that travels to neighborhoods to resolve non-violent offenses and provides an alternative for individuals whose personal circumstances might preclude them from appearing for court in a traditional setting. Since its inception, four hundred seventy people have participated in the project, 7,663 cases have been cleared, and 5,645 community service hours have been completed. Your Committee further finds that there is an ongoing need to address the growing homeless community. The expansion of the Community Outreach Court Project, as proposed by this measure, will allow the project to serve a larger number of the homeless individuals under the jurisdiction of the courts.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, should it deliberate on this measure, consider whether the Community Outreach Court Project policies and procedures should be set forth in a memorandum of agreement amongst stakeholders to provide flexibility in its implementation.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1404, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1404, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health & Homelessness,

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair