STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2276

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2221

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2221 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the offense of promoting child abuse in the second degree to include possession of thirty or more images of child pornography, where the content of at least one image contains a minor younger than the age of twelve, sadomasochistic abuse of a minor, or bestiality involving a minor.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's child pornography laws are weak and do not distinguish between the various forms of child pornography.  Currently, possession of any form of child pornography is covered under the offense of promoting child abuse in the third degree, but a violation is only a class C felony.  This measure will amend the offense of promoting child abuse in the second degree, a class B felony, to include particularly violent or egregious child pornography.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2221 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair