STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1472

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.R. No. 64
                                     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.R. No. 64 entitled: 

     "HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND THE
     PROSECUTING ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OF EACH COUNTY TO PROVIDE
     ADEQUATE AND APPROPRIATE TRAINING TO THEIR POLICE OFFICERS
     AND ATTORNEYS WHEN RESPONDING TO, INVESTIGATING, AND
     PROSECUTING INCIDENTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INVOLVING DATING
     RELATIONSHIPS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to prevent and deter
domestic violence by urging the police departments and the
Prosecuting Attorney's Office of each county to provide adequate
and appropriate training to their police officers and attorneys
when responding to, investigating, and prosecuting incidents of
domestic violence involving dating relationships.

     The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and
County of Honolulu (Prosecuting Attorney) and the Honolulu Police
Department (HPD) testified in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committee finds that this resolution is premature
because the definition of "dating relationship" is too ambiguous
and is not codified in statute.  However, your Committee believes
that protections against domestic violence for persons in dating
relationships can be implemented if a workable definition of
"dating relationship" is formulated for use in the criminal law
context.

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1472
                                 Page 2

 

     Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by
deleting its substance and replacing it with language that:

     (1)  Convenes a Task Force (Task Force) to examine the
          definition of "dating relationship" as it relates to
          domestic violence;

     (2)  Requests that the Task Force:

          (A)  Set parameters for the definition;

          (B)  Research other state statutes that use "dating
               relationships" in their civil and criminal codes;
               and

          (C)  Decide on a common definition of "dating
               relationship" to effectively prevent and deter
               further domestic abuse;

     (3)  Names the participants of the Task Force; and

     (4)  Requests the Task Force to submit its findings and
          recommendations to the Legislature prior to the
          convening of the Regular Session of 2000.

     In addition, your Committee has amended the title of this
resolution to read: "CONVENING A TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE THE
DEFINITION OF "DATING RELATIONSHIP" AS IT RELATES TO DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE".

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of
H.R. No. 64, as amended herein, and recommends that it be
referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs in
the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 64, H.D. 1.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair