Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 43 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request that a sexual assault branch be established within the Department of Health (DOH).

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Women's Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Hawaii Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Community Alliance on Prisons, and Sestak Rehabilitation Services. Testimony in opposition was received from the DOH.

Your Committees find that currently there is no primary point of contact in our government for the planning and coordination of sexual assault services. The community, therefore, does not have a primary point of contact to access comprehensive information on sexual assault and sexual assault victim data. Sexual assault victims are of all ages, as well as female and male.

Your Committees further find that providing and maintaining access to comprehensive services is the most effective response to sexual assault. A sexual assault branch or unit that solely addresses sexual assault would provide long-overdue, focused leadership in advocating for sexual assault services. Such a section would be solely committed to working in partnership with sexual assault service providers to ensure high quality services for victims.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 43, as amended herein, recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 43, S.D. 1.