Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2227 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the sale of travel services for the purposes of promoting prostitution as a class C felony and authorize the suspension or revocation of travel agency registration for engaging in these acts.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Honolulu Police Department, Sisters Offering Support, Equality Now, Planned Parenthood of Hawaii, JK Productions, and two private citizens.

Your Committee finds that sex-oriented businesses, including sex tourism, create victims who are exploited, abused, and objectified. The individuals and businesses creating the victimization and profiting from the sex trade must stop. Imposing penalties on the people and businesses that profit from sex-oriented businesses is one step toward holding them accountable for their part in the abuse and exploitation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by including suggested language from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs on what acts constitute a rebuttable presumption of a violation, and technical changes from the Honolulu Police Department.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2227, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2227, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.