STAND. COM. REP. NO. 494-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2020

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2020 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROSTITUTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Make it a felony to sell or offer to sell travel services promoting prostitution; and

(2) Authorize the suspension or revocation of travel agency registrations for engaging in such activities.

The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Social Justice Council of the First Unitarian Church, Hawaii Anti-Trafficking Task Force, Sestak Rehabilitation Services, Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Equality Now, Sisters Offering Support, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. The Department of the Attorney General, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Honolulu Police Department supported the intent of this bill and suggested amendments.

Your Committee finds that the sex industry has expanded to include people in the travel industry arranging for travelers to take advantage of prostitution overseas. These profiteers should not be promoting in Hawaii overseas activities that are illegal in this state.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Amending the proposed offense from promoting prostitution in the third degree to a specific and separate offense for promoting travel for prostitution, in accordance with existing state law;

(2) Deleting references to advertising in the proposed offense and relevant prohibited acts; and

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

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. 2020, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2020, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

 

____________________________

ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair