Bill Text: HI HB1942 | 2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Hawaii Veterans Court

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-12 - (H) Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting no and Bertram, Cabanilla, Takumi excused. [HB1942 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-HB1942-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO.  401-10

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1942

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1942, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VETERANS COURT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to help honorably discharged veterans who have committed crimes, as well as address prison overcrowding, by establishing a temporary Veterans Court at the State Circuit Court level.

 

     The Oahu Veterans Council, Mental Health America of Hawaii, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Adjutant General of the Department of Defense, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill.  The Office of Veterans Services and City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney supported the intent of this measure but asked to amend the language of this measure.  The Judiciary supported the intent of this bill but not the implementation of it.

 

     Your Committee finds that the aberrant behavior displayed by these veterans may have been caused by stresses experienced through their service to our country.  These veterans may not need incarceration, but rather treatment.

 

     Your Committee is informed that many convicted, qualifying veterans have been placed in Adult Court, Drug Court, or HOPE Court, and there may be overlap in or duplication of services without proper screening of qualifying veterans.

 

     Although your Committee recognizes that the Judiciary may be facing further budget cuts and reductions, affecting its ability to provide services through its existing specialty courts, your Committee believes that the establishment of a Veterans Court warrants further discussion.

 

     Your Committee notes that although some testimony mentioned the availability of federal funding, there were no concrete representations that such funding would be available for the operations of the Veterans Court.

 

     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. 1942, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

		____________________________ JON RIKI KARAMATSU, Chair