Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1568 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide compensation from the crime victim compensation special fund for mental health services for the surviving relatives and for a child witness or a witness who is sixty years old or older to a violent crime.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney, Kauai Prosecuting Attorney, Crime Victim Compensation Commission, and Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline.

Notorious and well-publicized crimes in Hawaii have focused awareness on the vast impact of such incidents on the families and on elderly witnesses to those crimes. Your Committee finds that extensive mental health data gathered about the surviving family members of homicide victims and child witnesses of violent crime have documented the traumatic long-term effects of this intimate exposure to crime. This measure will enable such persons to obtain mental health services.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1568 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.