STAND. COM. REP. NO. 657________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1484
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred H.B. No. 1484 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to create a classification so
that any "abuse of a family or household member" offense
subsequent to a second conviction for such an offense, or two
prior assault or terroristic threatening convictions, to the same
victim would be classified as a Class C felony.

     The Department of Health, Child and Family Service, Hawaii
State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Hawaii Catholic
Conference, Hawaii Lawyers Care, Domestic Violence Clearinghouse
and Legal Hotline, Hawaii Family Forum, and the Department of the
Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu submitted
testimony in support of this measure.  The amendments suggested
by the Prosecuting Attorney have been incorporated into the
measure.

     The Office of the Public Defender of Hawaii submitted
testimony in opposition to the measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding "kidnapping" to the list of offenses predicating
          enhanced classification under the measure; and


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 657________
                                 Page 2

 
     (2)  Changing "victim" to "family or household member" for
          purposes of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 1484, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1484, H.D.
1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian
Affairs.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair