STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2730

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2426
                                        S.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B.
No. 2426, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Crime Victim
Compensation Commission to pay for mental health counseling for
witnesses and individuals at the scene of mass tragedies and for
the relatives of persons killed in mass tragedies.

     Federal funding is available to state crime compensation
programs to pay for mental health counseling for victims of mass
violence, including victims, relatives of deceased victims, and
witnesses and others present at the scene.  Such funds were
offered to Hawaii after the November 1999 shooting tragedy in
Honolulu, but the State was unable to take advantage of them as
our state statute lacked the authority to pay for such
counseling.  Your Committee finds that it is in the best
interests of the health and welfare of the residents of this
State that our statute be amended to provide this type of
counseling.  Your Committee notes that the statutory language
appropriately gives priority in funding the crime victims while
permitting these other services to be compensated as well.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2730
                                   Page 2


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
2426, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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