STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1202-06
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2006
RE: S.B. No. 3200
S.D. 2
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2006
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 3200, S.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to protect newborn infants by:
(1) Providing immunity from prosecution for leaving an unharmed newborn at a hospital, fire station, or police station within 72 hours of its birth;
(2) Providing immunity from prosecution to hospitals, fire stations, or police stations and personnel who receive an unharmed newborn; and
(3) Requiring medical history from a person relinquishing a newborn.
The Hawaii Family Forum and Hawaii Catholic Conference supported this bill. The Adoption Circle of Hawaii and several concerned individuals opposed this measure. The Department of Human Services and several concerned individuals provided comments.
Your Committees have amended this bill by:
(1) Elevating the offense of abandonment of a child from a misdemeanor to a Class C felony;
(2) Changing the effective date from upon its approval to July 1, 2022; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3200, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3200, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,
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____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |
____________________________ ALEX M. SONSON, Chair |
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