STAND. COM. REP. NO. 300

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 586

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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 586 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Judiciary to develop, implement, and administer an automated court appearance reminder system that generates text message notifications for scheduled future court appearances;

(2) Require a person making an arrest or issuing a citation to document the offender's mobile telephone number or a mobile telephone number at which the offender may be reliably contacted; and

(3) Appropriate funds to the Judiciary for the automated court appearance reminder system.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Opportunity Youth Action Hawai‘i, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary and one individual.

Your Committee finds that courts occupy a vital position as adjudicators of disputes. Your Committee further finds that courts are open to all persons and, therefore, should be as user‑friendly as possible. This measure furthers this goal by requiring that the Judiciary remind persons of future court dates.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the automated court appearance reminder system to also generate electronic mail notifications for scheduled future court appearances;

(2) Requiring a person making an arrest or issuing a citation to also document the offender's electronic mail address or an electronic mail address at which the offender may be reliably contacted;

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

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of at least $11,000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 586, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 586, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair