STAND. COM. REP. NO.  263

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 344

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 344 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT TREATMENT SERVICES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of the Attorney General to fund the Statewide Sexual Assault Services Program to ensure that all islands have access to quality forensic sexual assault examinations. 

 

The funds will be used to restart the Hawaii Sexual Assault Response and Training initiative ("HSART"), a statewide program that provides medical, legal, and counseling services to victims.  HSART also provides investigative services including forensic sexual assault examinations that are necessary for the effective prosecution of perpetrators.

 

     The Department of the Attorney General; Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Hawaii; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Maui; Children's Justice Center of Kauai; and several concerned individuals testified in support of the measure.  The YWCA of Hawaii Island testified in support and provided a proposed amendment.  The Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, and YWCA of Kauai provided comments.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 344 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair