STAND. COM. REP. NO. 456

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 588
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred H.B. No. 588 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to include persons with a dating
history within the definition of family or household member.

     Testimony in support of the bill was submitted by the
Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, Hawaii Women
Lawyers, the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence,
the Hawaii Family Forum, Child & Family Service, Hawaii Lawyers
Care, and Parents and Children Together.

     Testimony in support of the intent of the bill but
suggesting amendments was submitted by the Department of Health,
the Honolulu Police Department, and the Department of the
Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committee finds that legislation addressing domestic
abuse should focus primarily on the behavior and the relationship
of the parties as opposed to their physical living situation.
However, your Committee had concerns that the phrase "dating
relationship" was too vague and ambiguous.

     Therefore, your Committee has amended the measure by:


 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 456
                                 Page 2

 
     (1)  Providing greater specificity to the meaning of the
          phrase "dating relationship"; and 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of style and clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 588, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 588, H.D.
1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian
Affairs.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair