Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2134 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to add abuse orders of protection issued against a person as information that must be disclosed as part of that person's marital history information in dealings with international matchmaking organizations.

The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal Center submitted testimony in support of the measure.

Immigrant women who are recruited by international matchmaking organization for the purpose of providing dating, matrimonial, or social referral services to residents are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of domestic violence. They are often isolated, as many leave their familial and social networks behind when they immigrate to the United States. The isolation is further exacerbated if they are unfamiliar with the language or law. Many immigrant abuse victims are unaware of social or legal services available to them.

This measure requires a resident using the services of an international matchmaking organization to disclose the number of domestic abuse orders of protection issued against the resident as part of that resident's marital history information. This added disclosure enables an immigrant recruit to better determine whether to establish a relationship with a resident who may be a potential abuser. This disclosure should reduce the incidence of domestic violence in our community.

Your Committee amended the measure by changing the effective date so that it is effective upon approval.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy, Environment, and International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2134, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2134, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.