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 S.B. No. 658, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to authorize hospitals to provide emergency contraception to sexual assault survivors.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from Hawaii County Council member Fred Holschuh, the American Civil Liberties Union, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, and the First Unitarian Church. The Commission on the Status of Women, the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, the University of Hawaii Women's Center, Planned Parenthood of Hawaii, and the Community Alliance on Prisons supported the measure and suggested amendments. The Department of Health and the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii supported the intent of the measure and suggested amendments. St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii provided comments. Hawaii Right to Life, the American Center for Law & Justice of Hawaii, and concerned individuals opposed the measure.

Your Committee finds that this bill will provide information about and services for emergency contraception at the critical moment when a sexual assault survivor seeks medical attention soon after the assault has occurred. Your Committee finds that this information and service should be universally provided and not be hidden behind barriers of exceptions.

Your Committee has amended the bill by deleting the contents and replacing it with the substance of H.B. No. 189, H.D 2.

The essence of the amendment is to:

(1) Delete the religious hospital exemption;

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. 658, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 658, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.