STAND. COM. REP. NO.2509

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2234

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2234, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEXUAL EXPLOITATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit the commercial sexual exploitation of minors and activities consisting of exotic or nude dancing, escort services, and erotic or nude massage services.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney (Prosecutor), Honolulu Police Department, Sisters Offering Support (SOS), Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawaii Family Forum, and two private individuals. Testimony in opposition was received from the Public Defender and Libertarian Party of Hawaii.

Your Committee agrees with the testimony of Sisters Offering Support, that federal research has found that nude dancing, lap dancing, nude modeling, escort and nude massage services, and similar sexually provocative activities are used to lure girls into prostitution. One of the most common pathways is stripping. These activities are common in Hawaii. By the time the child is graduated into prostitution or pornography, it is often too late because the emotional, physical, and sexual damage has been done and the minor is fearful of testifying against the perpetrator.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Providing, as recommended by SOS, that a patron or customer of a private club or event is deemed to engage or retain the services of a minor in violation of the law;

(2) Adding, as recommended by SOS, enticing customers through advertising and operating an escort service using minors; and

(3) Adding a new statutory section for failure to maintain age verification records of exotic or nude dancers, as recommended by the Prosecutor to enhance enforcement of the offense of sexual exploitation of a minor.

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 S.B. No. 2234, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2234, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

BRIAN KANNO, Chair