STAND. COM. REP. NO.2044

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2528

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2528 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SENTENCING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the court to consider an extended term of imprisonment for perpetrators of crimes against family or household members that result in serious or substantial bodily injury.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, and four concerned citizens. The Office of the Public Defender submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

Your Committee finds that domestic abuse is one of the most reprehensible crimes perpetrated in our State today. To make matters worse, these types of crimes are often the most difficult to prosecute successfully, because the perpetrator generally uses the victim's easy availability, love for their abuser, and financial dependence as a means both to facilitate the abuse and to deter cooperation with prosecution efforts.

Therefore, your Committee fully supports the intent of this measure, to authorize a court to consider extended sentences for perpetrators of these heinous crimes.

Based on the recommendation of the Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, your Committee amended this measure so that only section 706-622, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), is amended, and not sections 706-606 and 706-661, HRS.

As amended, this measure has the same effect as it did when originally introduced.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2528, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2528, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair