Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2147 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purposes of this measure are to dedicate an unspecified portion of the tobacco settlement moneys for the treatment of intrafamilial child sexual abuse and to make an appropriation to provide sex abuse treatment, including psychological treatment and case management services for child victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse and their families who are not a part of the child protective services system.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Judiciary, Department of Human Services, Department of Prosecuting Attorney City and County of Honolulu, Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Oahu, Inc., Catholic Charities, Child Welfare Services State Advisory Council, and Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii. The Department of Health submitted testimony in opposition.

Your Committee finds that the psychological and emotional scars suffered by those who have experienced sexual abuse are deep and long lasting, particularly for those who are sexually abused in childhood. When the perpetrator is a family member, the tragedy of the sexual abuse is magnified by the betrayal experienced by the child.

Your Committee further finds that treatment for these children is expensive and unless the child or the family is under Child Protective Services supervision, free treatment services are not always available.

Your Committee has also heard that the Department of Health's allocation of tobacco settlement moneys is fully engaged in the implementation and ongoing activities of The Healthy Hawaii Initiative. This comprehensive statewide health promotion initiative is an integrated, coordinated approach to improving the health of Hawaii's population through school-based health, community-based health planning and interventions, public and professional education and awareness, and research, assessment and evaluation.

Your Committee finds that the appropriation contained in this measure is essential. Your Committee has amended this measure to delete the dedication of tobacco settlement moneys for the treatment of intrafamilial child sexual abuse, and to make technical amendments.

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 of S.B. No. 2147, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2147, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.