STAND. COM. REP. NO. 892-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2089

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2089 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CERTIORARI REVIEW BY THE HAWAII SUPREME COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a fixed disposition deadline requiring the Supreme Court to decide an application for certiorari within sixty days after the application is filed.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary; Department of the Attorney General; and Office of the Public Defender.

Your Committee finds that the current variable disposition deadline for certiorari review, which depends on whether and when a response is filed, creates unnecessary administrative complexity and inefficiency for the Hawaii Supreme Court. Your Committee further finds that establishing a fixed deadline for deciding applications for writs of certiorari will promote judicial efficiency, allow the court to more fully exercise its discretionary review authority, and provide greater clarity and predictability to litigants and the public.

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. 2089 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair