Hawaii may soon undergo some changes to the laws pertaining to white-collar crimes. The legislature is working on bills that may alter the way the state handles people facing charges for certain crimes.
The Big Island Gazette explains the proposal and how it could impact the laws and future accused individuals. It is worth noting this is a bill still in committee and has not yet been approved by either chamber of the state government.
SB 2930 SD1
The bill in the Hawaii legislature is asking for the development of new divisions under the Attorney General to handle specific crimes. These crimes include fraud, white-collar, political corruption and human trafficking. It aims to help the AG’s office better handle these situations to enforce the laws already on the books.
The development of these divisions would also require additional funding for operations and investigations.
The reasoning behind the change
The ideas driving the push for passing this bill are to hold people accountable and to address serious crimes that exploit the weaker members of society. One senator explained that the move is to ensure people who commit fraud or exploit anyone through criminal activity face severe and quick punishment. It also shows the legislature is maintaining a commitment to keeping the state safe.
Of course, the bill still must go through all the proper steps to end with a vote, and then there are additional hurdles to go through before it could end up as law. But it is a start to addressing some serious crimes occurring in the Aloha State.