Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2046 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create criminal offenses for causing injury or death to, interfering with the use of, or misrepresenting oneself as the owner or trainer of a guide dog, signal dog, or service animal.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Honolulu Police Department (HPD), Guide Dog Association of Victoria, and seven hundred individuals. Comments were submitted by the Hawaiian Humane Society. Testimony in opposition was received from the Public Defender.

This measure recognizes the unique skills of guide dogs, signal dogs, and service animals that have completed lengthy and specialized training to serve their owners with disabilities. The testimony of the owners of these dogs was overwhelmingly sympathetic to the animals. The owners are highly dependent on their dogs, who serve as the eyes and ears for the disabled. Your Committee learned that these dogs have become the object of taunting and injury from people or from other dogs.

Your Committee has amended this measure on the recommendation of the HPD to include dogs owned by the State or any county to assist in law enforcement, except as to misrepresentation as the owner or trainer. These dogs are highly skilled and form an integral part of law enforcement and criminal investigation, and are used for locating drugs and illegal explosives and missing individuals.

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. 2046, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2046, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.