STAND. COM. REP. 1072
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2003
RE: S.B. No. 661
S.D. 1
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 Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 661, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to prevent sexual assault through funding of Department of Health (DOH) prevention programs by:
(1) Establishing the Sexual Assault Prevention Special Fund (Fund) to be administered by DOH for this purpose; and
(2) Increasing the marriage license fee and dedicating a portion to the Fund.
The Sex Abuse Treatment Center and Planned Parenthood of Hawaii testified in support of this measure. DOH opposed this measure.
Your Committee finds that:
(1) Sexual assault is often not reported, particularly among youth;
(2) Statistics show that sex assault education is critical in protecting children and other at-risk groups from sexual assaults;
(3) Education programs also promote increased reporting of sexual assaults; and
(4) The primary provider of sexual assault prevention education can no longer provide a comprehensive statewide service delivery system because of a dramatic decrease in funding.
Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its contents and inserting provisions that:
(1) Amend the Spouse and Child Sex Abuse Special Account administered by the Department of Human Services to rename it the Spouse, Child, and Sex Abuse Special Account, and require that in addition to funding spouse or child abuse intervention services it will also provide sexual abuse prevention services; and
(2) Amend the Spouse and Child Sex Abuse Special Account administered by the Judiciary to rename it the Spouse, Child, and Sex Abuse Special Account, and require that it will provide sexual abuse prevention services in addition to spouse and child abuse intervention services.
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. 661, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 661, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |