STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2852

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3009

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 3009, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve the protection of public officials and employees in the State.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes a specific statutory duty of the Department of Law Enforcement and its Sheriff Division to ensure the safety and security of all judicial and legislative personnel and facilities; and

(2) Requires the Sheriff Division to pursue accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., as recommended by the Auditor in 2010 in Auditor Report No. 10-06, and to obtain and maintain that accreditation.

Your Committees received written comments in support of this measure from the Judiciary.

Your Committees received written comments on this measure from the Department of Law Enforcement.

Your Committees find that public officials and employees increasingly face the risk of personal reprisal from individuals affected by decisions made in the exercise of their official duties. Your Committees also find that, in Hawaii, threats and other inappropriate communications towards judges have increased tenfold, and threats towards judiciary social workers providing probation oversight have increased ninefold, over the last decade. Your Committees further find that, in light of the escalating safety risks for public officials, statutory amendments are necessary to specify the Sheriff Division's responsibilities for legislative and judicial security.

Your Committees have amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2024.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3009, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3009, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair