provided that no fee shall be ordered when the court determines that the defendant is unable to pay the fee.
HRS § 706-648
COMMENTARY ON § 706-648
Act 205, Session Laws 2000, added this section to require a court, when sentencing a defendant to probation, to order the defendant to pay a probation services fee. The legislature found that this was necessary to help defray the costs of administering probation services. Conference Committee Report No. 45, Senate Standing Committee Report No. 3375.
Act 78, Session Laws 2004, amended this section to change the reference to the Interstate Parole and Probation Compact codified as part III of chapter 353 and repealed by Act 78, to reflect the new Interstate Compact for the Supervision of Adult Offenders, codified as chapter 353B. House Standing Committee Report No. 176-04.
Act 295, Session Laws 2012, amended this section to authorize the courts to assess a fee for probation services to all offenders under the supervision of the adult client services branch, including those granted deferred acceptance of guilty plea or deferred acceptance of nolo contendere plea, to hold offenders accountable for their actions and make them responsible for paying for some of their supervision costs. The legislature found that in 2000, it established probation services fees to help defray the costs of administering probation services. However, this fee could not be ordered for those offenders who are granted deferrals. Act 295 would allow the courts to collect probation services fees from offenders placed on deferral to make them accountable for their actions and to help pay for their supervision costs, and addressed the Judiciary's need for additional revenue to meet the rising costs