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. 2978 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify that the Department of Public Safety deputy sheriffs and narcotics enforcement officers and the Attorney General investigators shall report child abuse cases, and are authorized to take the child victim into protective custody.

The Department of Department of Public Safety, the Attorney General, and the Department of Human Services submitted testimony in support of this measure.

Your Committee finds that deputy sheriffs, narcotic enforcement officers, and Attorney General investigators occasionally witness child abuse during the course of their work. The current statutes do not specifically state that these officers may assume protective custody of a child. County police officers are the only individuals doing so at this time. Rather than wait for county police officers to arrive this measure will authorize deputy sheriffs, narcotic enforcement officers, and Attorney General investigators to fulfill this function.

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. 2978 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.