STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 637

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1186

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1186 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to address the problems of domestic violence and sexual assault by changing the name of the Domestic Violence Prevention Special Fund to the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Special Fund (Special Fund) and reserving a percentage of funds in the Special Fund for domestic violence prevention and treatment and sexual assault prevention and treatment. In addition, this bill requires the Department of Health to:

(1) Include recommendations on how to improve services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in its annual Special Fund reports; and

(2) Require DOH to work with providers of services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to develop a five-year strategic plan to reduce the incidence of domestic violence and sexual assault and to increase support to victims.

The Sex Abuse Treatment Center and a concerned citizen supported this bill. Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting a

defective date to promote further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1186, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1186, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

		____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair