STAND. COM. REP. 582
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2003
RE: H.B. No. 133
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2003
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 133 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of the bill is to provide:
(1) Immunity from prosecution for leaving an unharmed newborn at a hospital within 72 hours of birth; and
(2) Immunity from liability for the hospital and hospital personnel for receiving a newborn.
The Honolulu Police Department, Commission on the Status of Women, and Hawaii Family Forum testified in support of this bill. The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County Honolulu and Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Human Services opposed this bill.
Your Committee finds that this measure would help prevent newborns from being abandoned in life-threatening situations.
Your Committee has amended this bill by:
(1) Extending from 72 hours to 30 days the period after birth during which a newborn may be left with a health care provider at a hospital without penalty; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for style and clarity.
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 H.B. No. 133, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 133, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,
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____________________________ ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair |
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