STAND. COM. REP. 384

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 189

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 189, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES FOR SEX ASSAULT SURVIVORS IN EMERGENCY ROOMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of the bill to authorize hospitals to provide emergency contraception to sexual assault survivors.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the First Unitarian Church, and the Sex Abuse Treatment Center testified in support of this bill. Planned Parenthood of Hawaii and the Commission on the Status of Women opposed the measure in its present form. Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies testified in support of the intent of this bill. St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii, Pro-Family Hawaii, and the American Center for Law & Justice of Hawaii opposed the measure.

Your Committee finds that this bill will provide awareness of and services for emergency contraception at the critical moment when a sexual assault survivor seeks medical attention soon after the assault has occurred. Your Committee finds that this information and service should be universally provided and not be hidden behind the barrier of exceptions.

Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting the religious hospital exemption.

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 H.B. No. 189, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 189, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

____________________________

ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair