Bills

HB 394: MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE VICTIM WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Session Year: 2025-2026
House: House
Latest Version Date: 2025-02-13

Current Status:

Failed

(2025-12-08: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.)

Introduced

In Committee

First Chamber

In Committee

Second Chamber

Final Decking

Enacted

Version:

Appropriates funds as a grant-in-aid to the City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the Victim Witness Assistance Program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Version:

HB394 HD1

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	394
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE VICTIM WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 as a grant-in-aid to the city and county of Honolulu department of the prosecuting attorney for the victim witness assistance program, including the hiring of necessary staff.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the city and county of Honolulu department of the prosecuting attorney for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 2. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

Report Title:

City and County of Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package; Victim Witness Assistance Program; Appropriation; GIA

Description:

Appropriates funds as a grant-in-aid to the City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the Victim Witness Assistance Program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

Date	Status
Dec 8, 2025	Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Feb 14, 2025	Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).
Feb 14, 2025	Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 734) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
Feb 7, 2025	The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Cochran.
Feb 4, 2025	Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Friday, 02-07-25 2:05PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
Jan 21, 2025	Referred to JHA, FIN, referral sheet 1
Jan 17, 2025	Introduced and Pass First Reading.
Jan 16, 2025	Pending introduction.

Date	Description	Location	Votes
Feb 7, 2025	The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS	House Standing Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs	9 0 2 Passed

Key

Pro

Against

Did Not Vote

This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.

Positions by individuals are not included.

* Testimony in a hearing

** Position recorded in bill analysis

*** Position recorded in written testimony

Organization	Position	Date
Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu	** Support

* Testimony in a hearing

** Position recorded in bill analysis

*** Position recorded in written testimony

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 734

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 394

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 394 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE VICTIM WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds as a grant-in-aid to the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu for the Victim Witness Assistance Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that the funding provided by this measure will help guide victims, witnesses, and surviving family members through the criminal justice system.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $736,785 for fiscal year 2025-2026.

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. 394, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 394, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair

Date	Testimony PDF
Feb 7, 2025	HB394_TESTIMONY_JHA_02-07-25_.PDF

Discussed in Hearing

1MIN

House Standing Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce

1MIN

House Standing Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

View Older Hearings

Authors shown for version:
HB394_HD1 (2/13/2025)

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________
	By Request