Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2134, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

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

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Na Loio Immigrants Rights and Public Interest Legal Center, the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that immigrant women who are recruited by international matchmaking organizations for the purpose of providing dating, matrimonial, or social referral services to Hawaii residents are very vulnerable to becoming victims of domestic violence. This measure requires that a Hawaii resident who engages the services of an international matchmaking organization disclose the number of domestic abuse orders the resident has against them.

Your Committee has amended this measure to make technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity and style.

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. 2134, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2134, S.D. 2.