Um and which the commission is of course all for. So I just wanted to add that little tidbit and of course I am here if there's any questions. Thank you. Delera Oka from the University of Hawaii. Good afternoon. I am Delata Okoga representing the uh community colleges and we stand in support of our with our written testimony and we can answer questions like Kamakana from UPW has submitted testimony in support. Linda Rich from the women's prison project. So, Women's Prison Project strongly supports um Senate Bill 12. Um and again, I referenced the uh 2019 HCR task 85 task force report um which did uh recommend that there be trauma-informed corrections uh training, trauma-informed training for all corrections officers, especially at the women's community correctional system. Um, as you've heard, there's a high prevalence of trauma among incarcerated women. Um, and one of the things we know about trauma responses, we all know about the fight orflight response.
What happens when um, traumainformed education goes into the prisons and um, trains the staff to respond in a traumainformed way. Acts of aggression goes go down, self harm goes down. Um it it makes a better environment for everyone. Um in fact, I suspect that if there were truly traumainformed environments, we wouldn't have as much difficulty keeping people working there. You know, I think it would be a safer environment both for the inmates and for the staff who work there. It also would be a much more humane um system because women are repeatedly traumatized, retraumatized. So many of them have um histories of sexual assault and as we know we've all recently heard about the amount of sexual assault that has occurred in the women's prison. Uh um we also know that um we have some excellent ACOs and we also have some who are um harsh with the people in the prison.
Yeah. So, um, we urge you to pass this bill and to ensure that trauma-informed care training is available. Thank you, Miss Rich. Christian Fern from Uba has submitted testimony in support. Lauren Walker, Hawaii, Friends of Restorative Justice. Thank you. Um I just want to mention a few points. Um I think it'd be important for Winward Community College to um offer the trauma trauma informed informed care certificate program. Um, it would also be important for all C ACOs to have a certain level of understanding on how to treat the people in their care who have experienced trauma. But, but the program offered um by Winward Community College would be more specialized and the ACOs would learn more and they would become a valuable resource for other ACOs. Also, it's it's important that the certificate program be voluntary. uh re research has shown that when a person engages in a voluntary program, they're motivated to learn more and are able to apply their knowledge more competently and um also the certificate program from the community college would help raise the standard of professionalism among the ACOs.
Thank you, Diane. Well, Katherine Sani Wong might be joining us via Zoom. Yes. And I am strongly in support of SB712. Um I myself was incarcerated at the Women's Community Correctional Center for over 5 years. And you know, it's true, a lot of us women in there, we've experienced extensive trauma and we've never really talked about it. We don't really share about it. And then I myself had an experience where I was finally opening up about a situation that I had been in and firsthand this the the staff member that was there disrespected me and um put me down and blamed me for the situation that I was trying to discuss. Um, and you know, that incident already set back my not so good mental health at the time. You know, being incarcerated, um, not having control of my surroundings or anything has an effect on your mental health and that definitely felt like it set me back.
Um, I was able to work through that, but not everybody has. And in the time that I was there at Women's, there were at least five reported suicide attempts. Two of those attempts were from the same woman and her last attempt she didn't survive and she had been through a lot of trauma and had felt like when she would ask for help the other staff and you know would kind of chalk it up to her as just being a drama queen. So, I mean, I I really believe in this because I think that if if the women's prison was more of a healing grounds, then the women we would be able to be rehabilitated. You know, it wouldn't take us multiple times of in and out and trying to get things right. And I think if we could get it to where it was a healing place, most of us would be able to be successful once we entered back into the community because we were able to use that time to heal from the trauma and and all the things that we had been through.
So I I strongly support it. Thank you. Thank you, Katherine. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on Senate Bills 712? Aloha kayaka chairs, vice chairs, and the committees. My name is Angela Melody Young. testifying in strong support and I um I'm gonna try to I was speaking in like technical jargon so I'm gonna try to simplify what I'm trying to say so that there won't be any like miscommunications um because it does sound harsh when I speak it in the technical language. So um you know as we're talking about kind of like transforming the system um there previously in like the previous generation there's a lot of focus on like from just like schools and in society um about achievement and production instead of focusing on providing um resources and mental health um you know resources to people. And as the previous testifiers were saying, you know, a lot of it is because people experience um trauma and then they don't have support from mental health resources.
Um so and then um things happen, right? They offend the system. Um and so there is an emphasis for nurture care um and mental health awareness because trauma is inevitable. um you know, domestic drama, bullying um and all these um traumas are things that people can't process on their own, but they need counseling and mental health resources um to address the um inequitable um situation. So, thank you for the opportunity to testify. Thank you, Angela. Is there someone else? Yes. Hi, my name is Sony Kam and I strongly support this and I ask that you pass this SB712. Um, I have been incarcerated in and out of prison for such a long time and I do have trauma. So, when you get hurt, you go to the doctor. So, the doctor was kind of my prison. I did something, I got hurt, I went to prison.
You can't go to a doctor and get help from somebody who's a gardener. You need a doctor. So if in that way, if the ACOs have got training to be able to help us because it's a correctional facility, there's needs to be correction, you know, and and can't help when you don't you lack the knowledge. So I just ask that you pass this and I strongly support it. Thank you. Is there anyone else wishing to testify? 712. Yes, here again. Um, I would like to support this bill because I too have suffered trauma and in 2018 I attempted suicide which kept me back from being released into a treat that did but it didn't um necessarily help me to heal and there were some facials that was not very respectable or sensitive enough to deal with a lot of us girls that just needed um someone to talk to and shoulder to cry on.
So I would definitely support this. Thank you. Thanks for sharing. Is there anyone else wishing to testify? members questions. Okay. Um we are going to take a brief recess prior to taking the vote. Thank you for your patience. We're reconvening the committee on public safety and intergovernmental and military affair affairs and our friends from the committee on higher education for decision- making on three bills. The first being Senate Bill 710. The chairs have confirmed and we'd like to make a number of amendments to this measure. uh taking into account the attorney general's suggestions of adding in an appropriation for funds for a grant of $225,000 for fiscal year 23 to 24 to the Hawaii friends of restorative justice for the education and re-entry program for incarcerated women. The second recommendation from the AGS was to have uh uh since the bill doesn't currently authorize WCC to award administrative grants, we'd like it to be amended to insert standards for those administrative grants.
And also um require that the McKinley High School program work with the groups in providing counseling services. Those are the three suggested amendments. Members, any discussion? If not, Senator, I vote. Yes. Okay. Chair's recommendation is to pass SB 710 with amendments. Chair votes eye. Vice chair volts eye. Senator Fukunaga. Senator McKelby. Yes. Senator Awa. Yes. Mr. Chair, the measure passes with amendments. And for the committee on higher education, same recommendation to pass Senate Bill 710 with amendments I chair. Senate bill 710 with amendments for higher education. Chair votes I. Vice chair votes I. Senator Fukunaga I. Senator Keith Agaran. Yes. Senator Favlla I. Measures adopted. Madam Chair, thank you. On Senate Bill 711, um we're going to make a number of other uh amendments to this to this measure. The first is that we're not going to ask we're not going to require uh to do the study.
We'd like to change that to have the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice and the Women's Prison Project do this comparative study. Um like to also include that this comparison include the model programs in the United States for women, not just compared to uh the boys in Hawaii. uh also indicate that the DP Department of Public Safety's proposed amendments to insert additional language regarding the comparative study as well as the AG's suggested amendments to add a statement identifying this bill as a law of statewide concern and also um asked that the the uh two two groups Hawaii Friends for Restorative Justice as well as the uh women's prison project we look at their HCR85 which was a task force that had numerous recommendations and uh use that as a model in which to provide some substantive recommendations to improve outcomes for women who are incarcerated. Can I make some clarifications?
Sure, Mr. Chair. Um I kind of want to say that it's not so much a comparative study across the country but a to convene a group along with the women the current women incarcerated women or past cons women that have been incarcerated to come up with what are some of the programs um that is needed by the women and what are the gaps and to look at and you know we're not asking to do this scientific study across the board but to do something Yes. Yes. and then um and then hopefully this money can help to start it and then come back to us and then we can look at what are some of the other things that might have come out from this program uh the next session.
So I think is that okay that's very clear it can also be put in the committee members any discussion on those amendments if not senator leante vote yes chair's recommendation is to pass SB 711 with amendments of the five members present from PSM are there any no votes any votes with reservations hearing none Mr. Mr. Chair, the measure passes with amendments for higher education. Same recommendations. Um, Senate Bill 712 with amendments. Chair Volai 71, I'm sorry, 7-Eleven. Lucky 7-Eleven. Senate bill 7-Eleven to pass with amendments. Chair Volzai, Vice Chair Bai, Senator Gaga. Hi, Senator Keith Agaran. Senator Favlla, I measures adopted. Madam Chair, on to our last bill on this agenda, Senate Bill 712 relating to corrections. The chairs have confirmed. We'd like to pass this measure that provides a certification program for trauma care for incarcerated women, but would like to make technical non-s substantive amendments to the measure.
Members, any discussion? If not, Senator Alante, I vote yes. Okay. Chair's recommendation is to pass SP712 with amendments of the five members present. Are there any no votes? Any votes with reservations? Hearing not, Mr. Chair, the measure has passed with amendments. and the committee on higher education and same recommendation to pass Senate Bill 712 with technical amendments. Chair Volzai, Chair Volzai, Vice Chair Boltzai, Senator Fukanaga, Hi, Senator Kagar, Senator Favlla. Hi. Measures adopted Madam Chair. Thank you. Richard. Oh, aloha. We are convening our triple joint committee with the committee on energy, economic development and tourism, committee on public safety. Oh, actually I'm sorry. I'm not the lead. Sorry about that. Okay. Continuing from where he left off on the committee, uh, the three committees, public safety, intergovernmental, and military affairs. Uh, 310 hearing. We have one bill on agenda. This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube.
In the unlikely event that we abruptly end this hearing, we'll reconvene on 1 p.m. on Thursday, February 16, this room 229. Uh please note that we have a one minute limit protest of fire. Uh first first off is University of Hawaii vice president in support. Okay. Don Chang, Danar. Good morning, chairs, vice chair, members of the committee, Ki Chang. On behalf of Don Chang, I'm chief engineer for DNR. We recognize the intent of this measure is to promote geothermal exploration development hour. We oppose this measure as written for the following reasons. We do not agree that the diversion of funds away from protecting this public trust resource which we're charged with DNR is good. We also do not agree with the cap this measure imposes on the amount of royalties that the department can collect and also that would also reduce the percentage that is given to DNR.
So, as you as you know, DNR is charged with all costs for processing, negotiating, and managing geothermal leases, including the safe operations and regulating the well drilling. DNR only retains 50% of the royalties. 30% goes to the counties and 20% goes to OHA. And we did an analysis how much royalties we received over the last 15 years. And on the average or cumulative average basically the amount of royalties that DMR retains basically washes the amount that okay thank you uh your time is I appreciate it. Um sorry I do want to also include that higher education is part of this joint committee that we're having this afternoon. Um, uh, next up, Mark Glick, chief energy officer on Zoom. All here, present on Zoom. Chair, he's here alive and well. Alive at least. Good afternoon, Senators. Cameron Black on behalf of uh the Hawaii State Energy Office.
We offer comments on this bill. We support uh funding for uh, but we share I think DNR's concerns about diverting funds from existing regulatory programs. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, next up, Office of Hawaiian Affairs with comments. Uh, County of Hawaii with comments. In person, Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation and Technologies. Good afternoon, Senator. Good afternoon, chairs, vice chairs, members of the committee. David Molinro, the director for the Y Center Transportation Technologies. um standing in in support of Senate Bill 458. I'll be available answering questions. Thank you. Next up, uh Peter Sternich in support with Sustainable Energy of Hawaii. Uh and I have three others in support. Anybody in the room wishing to testify? I see none.
Members, any questions? Yeah, I do have question. Senator Kim. Yes. Oh my chain. So currently you said that 50% goes to DLNR 30% to economies 20% to OHA. So under this measure, what portion would go to university innovation and commercialization initiative special fund? Basically any excess that exceeds the $1 million cap. And also I think the cap the county is also capped at 600,000 in this measure. So essentially anything above that would be diverted to this new special fund or not new special but the special uh fund. And how and in the past how much overage did we did we get and where did that overage go? the overage whatever royalties you receive goes into the special land development fund and it's dispersed from there to pay for the geo geothermal mineral resources program as well as many other programs within DNR. But I'm saying that if if this was in effect would the state still get the 50%.
essentially we'll still get the 50% up to whatever and then so what what was left over all of that is going to support how much has been left over with the caps in it well there was no cap per se this is imposing a cap yeah so what do you anticipate the amount of money that might be going or royalties might be going to well if you look at the last cumulative average over the last 15 years We the 50% that DLR retain not OHA now because when we talk about state there's two different entities we're just looking at DNR share we received on average 822,000 82323,000 let's just round it up our geothermal program only and this doesn't include the leasing and all the other important programs within DLR we expended on the average $759,000 so basically it's a wash so there's not a whole lot of royalties that come in and then there's good years and bad years during the lava event bend we got zero and we still have to fund the program and there's good years when oil prices are high so it's it really fluctuates so we thought it'd be fair to just take a cumulative average over the past 15 years to give you guys a better idea of really what it is it's not $1 million it's not zero but on average it's about 822 that we receive and do you know what the UA should be using these monies for and how much they have in the special fund I'm just reading the bill it says to further the discovery and development of geothermal resour this anybody here from uh to answer that.
So I'm just curious because they have so many funds I can't keep track of all the funds that they have. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? The money is going into exploratory trading. Okay. This is for decision making. Um, you're ready to decision make for 301 p.m. with ET PSM and HRE. Um, Senate Bill Senate Bill 458. We are going to take um the breakout of the percentage to do it as 20% to uh to do more exploratory wells. The 50% with DLNR will stay there as well as the 10% to the counties and 20% to OHA um for the geothermal royalties and also take away the cap. Yeah. And removal of the cap.