STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1970

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 86

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 86, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU TO REPORT ON SYSTEMS OF FIREARMS INSURANCE AND OTHER FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO FIREARMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Legislative Reference Bureau to report on systems of firearms insurance and other financial responsibility requirements pertaining to firearms.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' Insurance Division.

Your Committee finds that in recent years, legislation has been introduced or considered in a number of states, including Hawaii, that would establish systems of mandatory firearms insurance or other financial responsibility requirements. Your Committee believes that systems of insurance and other financial responsibility requirements can, in some contexts, play an important role by facilitating compensation for injured persons and reducing risks by encouraging safer behavior. This measure will help to facilitate further study and consideration of the rapidly evolving policy area of firearms insurance and other financial responsibility requirements pertaining to firearms.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Limiting the scope of the Legislative Reference Bureau's summary of relevant firearm insurance laws and other financial responsibilities on firearms to insurance laws that other states may be enacting;

(2) Clarifying that the Insurance Commissioner is requested to provide an analysis of the types of firearm insurance policies offered in other states, which entities are offering those policies, and the pricing of those policies; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 86, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 86, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

________________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair