STAND. CON. REP. NO.
Honolulu, Hawaii
MAR27 , 2025
RE: H.C.R. No. 154
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 Public Safety, to which was referred H.C.R.
No. 154 entitled:
“HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO
PERFORM A COMPREHENSIVE FORENSIC AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION AND DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING
AND GENERAL SERVICES REGARDING SPENDING RELATED TO THE
PLANNING, DESIGN, FINANCING, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE OF
A NEW JAIL TO REPLACE THE OAHU COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL
CENTER,”
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to ensure taxpayer dollars are
being used and managed responsibly by the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Accounting
and General Services with regards to the planning, design,
financing, construction, and maintenance of a new jail to replace
the Oahu Community Correctional Center.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the ACLU of Hawaii, Kauai Women’s Caucus, and twenty-five
individuals. Your Committee received comments from the Office of
the Auditor.
Your Committee finds that the Department of Corrections’
plans for expansion and construction for the new Oahu Community
HCR154 HD1 HSCR PBS
 STAND. CON. REP. NO.
Page 2
Correctional Center have an estimated cost of $1,000,000,000,
making it the single largest public works project in state
history. Your Committee also notes that this does not include the
recurring costs of operation, and that the department has already
expended $25,000,000 on planning consultants alone, without
providing a full accounting of how past funding relating to the
proposed project has been spent.
Your Committee finds that increased transparency with regards
to the proposed construction of a new Oahu Community Correctional
Center is necessary to improve public trust, eliminate and prevent
fraud, examine the realities of the return on taxpayers’
investment, and ultimately ensure responsible use of public funds.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Replacing “forensic” with “performance, management, and
financial” with regards to the descriptors of audit
type, per the Office of the Auditor’s comments.
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 H.C.R. No. 154,
as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your
Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No.
154, H.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committee on Public Safety,
DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair
HCR154 HD1 HSCR PBS
 State of Hawaii
House of Representatives
The Thirty-third Legislature
P~j S c;.~ I 9 ~ ~
Record of Votes of the Committee on Public Safety
BilllResolution No.: Committee Referral: Date:
I~iC,R~ 1~~W P~?YSIFLNI 3I2~I~02~
C The committee is reconsidering its previous decision on the meas re.
The recommendation is to: ~ Pass, unamended (as is) Pass, with amendments (HD) C Hold
C Pass short form bill with HD to recommit for future public hearing (recommit)
PBS Members Ayes Ayes (WR) Nays Excused
1. BELATTI, Della Au (C) V
2. IWAMOTO, Kim Coco (VC)
~.
~
3. HASHEM, Mark J.
4. ICH1YAMA, Linda
5. LAMOSAO, Rachele F.
~
6. MORIKAWA, Dee
~
7. POEPOE, Mahina
—~
8. WOODSON, Justin H. V
~
9. SHIMIZU, Garner M.
10. SOUZA, Kanani V
TOTAL (10) 9 -~ 4
The recommendation is: I~%dopted LI Not Adopted
If joint referral, did not support recommendation.
committee acronym(s)
Vice Chair’s or designee’s signature: /~DCLt~ ~i~’ ~~~?.i~z4f7
Distribution: Original (White) — Committee Duplicate (Yellow) — Chief Clerk’s Office Duplicate (Pink) — HMSO