Senate Judiciary advances bills on forfeiture, courts, taxes and victim services; committee records votes and funding requests

The Senate Committee on Judiciary advanced a slate of bills on Jan. 30, 2025, moving forward proposals that would limit civil asset forfeiture, create or expand specialty courts, authorize staffing additions for probation services and request state appropriations for prosecutorial and victim services.

The committee, chaired in the hearing by the committee chair (Senate Committee on Judiciary), front‑loaded policy items of broad public interest — notably SB 722 to restrict civil asset forfeiture and SB 361 to permanently establish the Community Outreach Court in the First Circuit — and then considered budget and administrative measures including two grant‑in‑aid appropriation requests from the City and County of Honolulu’s prosecuting attorney.

Why it matters: Several of the measures touch on how the criminal legal system will manage low‑level offenses and vulnerable populations going forward — from establishing mobile community courts that emphasize diversion, to requiring clearer rules and procedural protections for forfeiture. The bills also contain appropriation requests or implementation details that will be resolved in later budget and drafting steps, meaning outcome and cost details remain to be finalized.

Key actions and takeaways

- The committee voted to advance SB 722, a bill that narrows civil asset forfeiture so property may be forfeited in connection with a felony conviction; the measure was passed unamended by the committee and will move on for further consideration. Testimony in the hearing included opposition from the Attorney General (citing forfeiture as an enforcement tool) and support from public‑defense and civil‑liberties groups who called for stronger safeguards.

- The Community Outreach Court (SB 361) was approved by the committee to be permanently established in the First Circuit, with committee action deferring appropriation details to future budget work. Judiciary and public‑defense witnesses described the program as a mobile, community‑based way to resolve nonviolent cases and connect participants to services; the committee asked for concrete staffing and cost estimates before final budget committees act.

- SB 526, a three‑year pilot to establish women’s courts in the 2nd, 3rd and 5th circuits (neighbor‑island circuits), was advanced with amendments and a request that each circuit provide detailed personnel and funding needs. Witnesses stressed the variation in available behavioral‑health resources across islands and urged tailoring to local capacity.

- SB 313 (a proposed 1% annual wealth tax on state net worth over $20 million) was advanced with amendments to delay collection, require implementation planning and to change the frequency to once every three years; committee members recorded reservations but voted to keep the discussion moving.

- Two appropriation requests from the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of the Prosecuting…