HI SB2149

Establishes a working group within the Department of the Attorney General to review and evaluate Hawaii's asset forfeiture laws and recommend improvements.

Working group membership includes the attorney general, chief justice, prosecutors and police chiefs from each county, Hawaii State Bar Association, ACLU representative, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii representative, and public defender representative.

Requires the working group to examine forfeiture law effectiveness by analyzing amounts and types of property seized, numbers of administrative and judicial actions filed, remission/mitigation petitions, and property distributed to government agencies.

Directs the working group to study forfeiture laws in other jurisdictions, identify areas of abuse or concern (including barriers for innocent owners seeking remission), and develop solutions to streamline the forfeiture process.

Working group must submit written findings and recommendations to the legislature by twenty days before the 2017 regular session convenes, and the group expires on June 30, 2017.