Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 861 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation for sexual assault services.

The Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, Child & Family Services, The Sex Abuse Treatment Center, the YWCA of Hawaii Island, the YWCA of Kauai, and one individual submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health submitted testimony in opposition.

Your Committee finds that the state general funds appropriation level for the delivery of sexual assault services has not changed since 1996. Repeated requests have been made to increase the base general fund level in the Department of Health operating budget for sexual assault services. Since 1998, no increase has come through. Therefore, the sexual assault providers have had to seek and receive additional funds to deliver 24/7 crisis, counseling, and prevention/education services. While this funding strategy helped to maintain some services, it has taken its toll on the infrastructure of the sexual assault programs, and a toll on the overall scope of services delivered.

Your Committee notes that support, including counseling and advocacy, not only benefits individual victims, but also their families. Victims receiving appropriate and timely services are more likely to report their assault to the police, thus improving the chances that perpetrators are identified and successfully prosecuted. This in turn provides greater safety for all by increasing the chances that dangerous and repeat sex offenders are adequately controlled through incarceration or intensive probation.

Your Committee finds that it is difficult for agencies such as The Sex Abuse Treatment Center to conduct planning based on year to year funding and that the Department of Health should determine a way to contract for and fund these services on a multi-year basis.

Your Committee requests that the Committee on Ways and Means consider including an annual increase of $300,000 into the base general fund level for sex assault services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by including language to reflect that the appropriation should be used for sexual assault direct services throughout Hawaii.

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 S.B. No. 861, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 861, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.