Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 101, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request a working group to be convened to evaluate and recommend measures to encourage the use of safety programs such as the Eddie Eagle program for firearm safety.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from the Hawaii Rifle Association, Lessons in Firearms Education Hawaii, and two teachers. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the measure from the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that, unfortunately, most gun violence occurs in the home. Therefore, all efforts to promote firearm safety should be encouraged to minimize tragic and unnecessary injuries and deaths. These initiatives are also best accomplished through education rather than regulation. However, the Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division of the Department of the Attorney General testified against the measure, which named them as the leader of the working group, due to policy and resource issues.

The Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division of the Department of the Attorney General believes that the Eddie Eagle program for firearm safety unfairly puts the onus of gun safety on children who accidentally find guns, rather than on the adult owners of the guns, where it more properly and legally resides. They also note that the three staffers of the Community and Crime Prevention Branch, who would be assigned the task of leading the working group, already have their hands full implementing existing crime prevention programs and projects like the McGruff, Take a Bite Out of Crime campaign, the McGruff Truck Program, community mobilization, and other crime, drug, and violence prevention trainings.

For these reasons, your Committee requests the Committee on Judiciary to determine a more appropriate administrative home for the program should they decide to pass the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 101, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.