STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1137-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2556

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 2556, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to permanently establish and appropriate funds for the Community Outreach Court as a division of the District Court of the First Circuit.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness; Judiciary; Department of Human Services; Department of Law Enforcement; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that the Community Outreach Court project was established in 2017 as a mobile justice system that travels to neighborhoods on Oahu to resolve nonviolent offenses and provides an alternative for individuals whose personal circumstances might preclude them from appearing in court in a traditional setting. Since its inception, the Community Outreach Court has addressed more than ten thousand cases, recalled more than nine hundred bench warrants, lifted more than six thousand driver license stoppers, and assisted more than six hundred participants with social services or referrals. Your Committee further finds that the success of the Community Outreach Court has inspired the municipal court in Medford, Oregon, to adopt a similar program. Your Committee believes that formally codifying the Community Outreach Court, as proposed by this measure, will provide much needed resources and funding for the Community Outreach Court and allow it to serve a larger number of homeless individuals on Oahu.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 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 Finance, should it choose to deliberate on this measure, to consider appropriating $250,000 to the Department of Law Enforcement to support the Community Outreach Court.

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 S.B. No. 2556, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2556, S.D. 2, 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