STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2359

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2184
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2184 entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require every private or
public hospital to conduct a security and safety assessment to
examine trends of aggressive or violent behavior at the facility.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Hawaii Nurses' Association and HGEA-AFSCME.

     This measure also requires hospitals to develop a security
plan from the assessment, to provide sufficient security
personnel, and to report criminal assaults against on-duty
hospital personnel to local law enforcement authorities.

     Your Committee finds that hospital security is sorely
lacking.  Hospital workers are vulnerable to attacks on the
premises at all hours of the day and night.  Because of the
accessibility of hospital premises, any member of the public can
walk in at any time with criminal intentions.  Your Committee
believes that this measure will provide a modicum of added safety
for hospital workers and is not burdensome to hospitals.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2359
                                   Page 2


of S.B. No. 2184 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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