Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2141, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for sexual assault services.

Your Committee finds that funding for services to prevent sexual assault or violence has suffered in recent years due to a lackluster economy and piecemeal funding when available. A recent report highlighted the following consequences of inadequate funding:

(1) Decrease or lack of core essential services;

(2) Underreporting of sexually violent crimes;

(3) Fragmented services that are not comprehensive;

(6) Excessive reporting and grant submission costs.

This bill would provide the necessary funds to address these concerns to better assist programs or services to prevent sexual assault. Your Committee, however, would like to study this matter further, and has therefore amended the bill by appropriating an unspecified amount.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2141, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2141, S.D. 2.