Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 658 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require hospitals that provide emergency care to sexual assault survivors to inform them of and provide access to emergency contraception.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Planned Parenthood of Hawaii, Sex Abuse Treatment Center, First Unitarian Church, Community Alliance on Prisons, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, YWCA of Hawaii Island, and one individual. Opposing testimony was received from Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Right to Life, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that female survivors of sexual assault face the additional trauma of a possible unwanted pregnancy resulting from the sexual assault. Fortunately, emergency contraceptives are available to reduce the risk of pregnancy. However, these emergency contraceptives must be taken soon after the sexual assault to be effective. This measure ensures that sexual assault survivors receiving emergency treatment are informed of emergency contraceptives as soon as possible and are given an opportunity to take them if they so decide.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 658 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.