STAND. COM. REP. NO.184-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 1868

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1868 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TREATMENT OF INTRAFAMILIAL CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish a dedicated source of funding by allocating a percentage of the tobacco settlement moneys and to appropriate funds for the treatment of intrafamilial child sexual abuse.

The Department of Human Services (DHS), Judiciary, Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Oahu, Inc., Child Welfare Services State Advisory Council, Catholic Charities Family Services, and Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.

The Department of Health opposed this measure. The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney submitted comments.

Your Committees find that there is a "gap group" of children who may be victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse, but receive little or no treatment because there is no involvement on the part of the Child Protective Services or Family Court. Intrafamilial child sex abuse victims are at high risk for truancy and other dangerous and illegal activities.

Several testifiers expressed concern over the use of tobacco settlement moneys for this purpose, but they had no objection to providing treatment for intrafamilial child sexual abuse victims.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Removing the allocation from tobacco settlement moneys and replacing it with an allocation from liquor taxes;

(2) Changing the appropriation to $1 to promote further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1868, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1868, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Chair

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair