STAND. COM. REP. NO. 297-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1774

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1774, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MISSING PERSONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a silver alert program within the Department of Law Enforcement to alert the public of missing persons who are sixty-five years of age or older, cognitively impaired, or developmentally disabled.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Law Enforcement; Department of Human Services; Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; AARP Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association; Alzheimer's Association; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Kokua Council; Hawaiʻi Family Caregiver Coalition; Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans; Oahu Search and Rescue; Autism Speaks; Hawaiʻi Public Health Association; Hawaii Association for Behavior Analysis; Papa Ola Lokahi; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii; Hawaii Medical Service Association; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that silver alerts, which are used in thirty-seven other states, are vital tools that provide time‑sensitive information to the public about vulnerable persons who have gone missing.

Your Committee further finds that in 2021, the Legislature lowered the age at which enhanced penalties apply for crimes against seniors to sixty years of age. Your Committee believes that this measure should conform to those changes to ensure that missing seniors who are as young as sixty years old qualify under the silver alert program.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Lowering the age for which a silver alert may be issued to sixty years old;

(2) Clarifying the definition of "developmentally disabled"; and

(3) 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 $250,000.

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. 1774, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1774, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair