Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2978 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

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

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Attorney General, Department of Human Services, and Department of Public Safety.

Your Committee finds that deputy sheriffs, narcotics enforcement officers, and attorney general investigators occasionally witness child abuse during the course of their work. Current law does not specifically state that these officers shall report the abuse, or may assume protective custody of a child. Rather than wait for police officers to arrive at the scene pursuant to a call from the social worker, for example, this measure will authorize deputy sheriffs, narcotics enforcement officers, and Attorney General investigators to report and, if necessary, assume protective custody.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs 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 Third Reading.