STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1038

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 711

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 711, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENDER PARITY IN PROGRAMS FOR INCARCERATED WOMEN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to ensure gender parity in programming offered to incarcerated women and men in the State.

More specifically, the measure appropriates funds to the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice and Women's Prison Project as a grant under Chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to conduct a study of programming offered to persons incarcerated at correctional facilities and to convene a group of incarcerated women for the purpose of identifying gaps in programming offered to female inmates.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Women's Prison Project, and Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.

Your Committee recognizes the apparent lack of parity in the range and quality of programming that is currently available to female and male inmates in the State, based upon information in a December 2021 report of the Department of Public Safety to the Legislature on gender responsive, community-based programs for women. Accordingly, your Committee finds that the activities funded by this measure are necessary to identify the scope of the issue and possible solutions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing references to the Women's Prison Project in the measure's appropriation section;

(2) Changing the appropriation from $120,000 to an unspecified amount;

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

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

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 S.B. No. 711, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 711, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair