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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION
  REQUESTING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO CONTINUE THE DOMESTIC
    VIOLENCE WORKING GROUP ESTABLISHED IN 1999 BY THE HAWAII
    STATE LEGISLATURE AND EXPAND THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE GROUP.

 


 1        WHEREAS, domestic violence is among the most critical
 2   issues impacting the lives of the people of Hawaii, affecting
 3   their health and economic viability and endangering their lives
 4   and the lives of their children; and
 5   
 6        WHEREAS, pursuant to H.C.R. 65, H.D. 1, adopted by the
 7   1999 legislature, the Domestic Violence Working Group, (Working
 8   Group) was established to review the policies and procedures of
 9   the criminal justice system as they relate to domestic violence
10   among adults; and
11   
12        WHEREAS, the Working Group submitted to the Twentieth
13   Legislature a report entitled, "Domestic Violence and the
14   Criminal Justice System in Hawaii," that identified problematic
15   areas within the criminal justice system as it relates to
16   domestic violence and proposed recommendations for future
17   action; and
18   
19        WHEREAS, some of the recommendations of the Working Group
20   proposed improvements to the system that require neither
21   funding nor changes to the law; and
22   
23        WHEREAS, the Working Group finds that there is a need to
24   monitor and assess the implementation of these recommendations;
25   and
26   
27        WHEREAS, a coordinating body is necessary to undertake the
28   that task, and the Domestic Violence Working Group has direct
29   knowledge of the basis of those recommendations; and
30   
31        WHEREAS, the membership of the original Domestic Violence
32   Working Group was limited, and therefore, was unable to examine
33   those crucial issues surrounding children and adolescents
34   involved in domestic violence situations as witnesses or
35   victims of partner abuse; and 

 
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                                  H.R. NO.              H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1        WHEREAS, the 1999 Domestic Violence Working Group found
 2   that representatives necessary to that discussion, such as
 3   private and government representatives of child and adolescent
 4   services, were not involved; now, therefore,
 5   
 6        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
 7   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
 8   of 2000, that the Attorney General is requested to establish a
 9   2000 Domestic Violence Working Group which will oversee the
10   implementation of the recommendations made in the "Domestic
11   Violence and Criminal Justice System in Hawaii" report, act as
12   the coordinating body for the  monitoring and assessment of
13   that process, and further, coordinate an examination of
14   practices and procedures as they relate to children and youth
15   involved in domestic violence situations as witnesses or
16   victims of partner abuse in the civil and criminal justice
17   system; and
18   
19        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2000 Domestic Violence
20   Working Group include those same representatives as the 1999
21   Domestic Violence Working Group in order to continue that work,
22   along with a representative from the Department of Education
23   and that the Working Group also be charged with the inclusion
24   of input from the relevant child and adolescent service
25   community, including but not limited to:
26   
27        (1)  The Hawaii Youth Services Network;
28   
29        (2)  Youth service providers;
30   
31        (3)  A representative from the Department of Human
32             Services;
33   
34        (4)  A representative from the Office of Youth Services;
35             and
36   
37        (5)  A representative from the Department of Health;
38   
39   and
40   
41        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Attorney General submit
42   the findings and recommendations of the 2000 Domestic Violence
43   Working Group to the Legislature no later than twenty days
44   prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2001; and

 
 
 
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                                  H.R. NO.              H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
 2   Resolution be transmitted to the Attorney General, the
 3   Executive Directors of the Hawaii State Coalition Against
 4   Domestic Violence and the Hawaii State Commission on the Status
 5   of Women, the Director of Health, the Director of Human
 6   Services, the Director of Office of Youth Services, the
 7   Superintendent of Education, the Prosecuting Attorney of the
 8   City and County of Honolulu, the Chief of Police of the City
 9   and County of Honolulu, and the Chief Justice of the Hawaii
10   Supreme Court.