Report Title:

Domestic Violence Clearinghouse & Legal Hotline; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates money for services provided by the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline.

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

113

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

making an appropriation for the continued services of the domestic violence clearinghouse and legal hotline.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the State suffered the loss of ten lives as a result of domestic violence this year. The Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline (DVCLH) provides direct legal services, client advocacy, and victim assistance across Oahu and Maui in an effort to provide comprehensive assistance to families terrorized by abuse.

During the 1999-2000 fiscal year, DVCLH received nearly 900 legal representation requests but was forced to turn away approximately 300 of those requests due to limited resources. DVCLH's goal for fiscal year 2000-2001 is to assist a greater number of requests while continuing to provide effective and high quality legal and advocacy services.

DVCLH is the only agency in the State whose services are uniquely designed to provide civil legal assistance and advocacy to domestic abuse victims and their children, and whose caseload is comprised exclusively of these victims. It is also the only state agency that accepts large numbers of high-risk contested divorce, temporary restraining order, post-decree, paternity, and child protection cases in families with dual abuse. A newly implemented central client database allows DVCLH to record information during hotline calls from persons in crisis while simultaneously cross-referencing and updating as many as 2.4 million documents. DVCLH endeavors to further develop its services and spread its mission by collaborating with other agencies addressing the domestic violence issue such as the Pu'uhonua Drop-in Center, Lifeline, ISLANs, the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, and the AmeriCorps Students & Advocates for Victims of Domestic Violence (SAVD) program run by Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate moneys to the continuing services of the DVCLH to assist victims and to reduce domestic violence in the state.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $600,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, and the same sum, or so much therefore as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003, for continuing services of the DVCLH to assist domestic violence victims and to reduce domestic violence in the State.

SECTION 3. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.

INTRODUCED BY:

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