Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1000, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require the clergy to report cases of child abuse or neglect to the Department of Human Services (DHS) or the police, subject to an exemption for confidential clergy communications.

The Child Welfare Services State Advisory Council, Christian Science Committee on Publication for Hawaii, Sex Abuse Treatment Center, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. DHS supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee finds that this bill subjects a new class of persons to penalties under section 350.1.2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for failing to report cases of child abuse or neglect.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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. 1000, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1000, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.