STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2175-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.C.R. No. 147

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 147 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING TO INCREASE COMPENSATION FOR ADULT CORRECTIONS OFFICERS EMPLOYED BY THE STATE OF HAWAII'S DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the federal government to provide supplemental funding to increase compensation for adult corrections officers employed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has struggled to fill vacant positions for adult corrections officers. Chronic understaffing in correctional facilities increases safety risks, strains existing staff, undermines rehabilitative programming, and threatens compliance with constitutional and statutory standards of care. Your Committee further finds that the federal government has recognized nationwide law enforcement and public-safety staffing crises and has, in recent years, provided supplemental funding to states through public safety, justice assistance, and workforce stabilization programs. Your Committee also finds that targeted federal assistance to support competitive compensation for state adult corrections officers would directly advance public safety, reduce turnover, and strengthen the State's correctional system without shifting the full fiscal burden onto state taxpayers.

Your Committee notes the concern as to whether the supplemental funding requested by this measure could potentially provide the federal government with access to state facilities to detain individuals for immigration-related matters.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 147 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

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DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair