STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3110

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1912

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1912, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JUDGES FOR THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish one additional district court judgeship in the First Circuit.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Office of the Public Defender, and Hawaii State Bar Association.

Your Committee finds that it has been more than forty years since the last district court judge was authorized in 1982. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the population of the City and County of Honolulu, with the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism estimating that the population increased more than thirty-one percent in that time. Additionally, many of the cases that come before the court have become more complex, involving interdisciplinary issues such as the prevalence of those who experience mental illness or substance use disorders and individuals experiencing homelessness with long case histories of non-violent offenses. This measure will provide the district court with the ability to better manage court dockets, be more responsive to the needs of the community, increase capacity in the rural courts, and develop and expand specialized court calendars.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making it effective on July 1, 2024.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1912, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1912, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair