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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
220 |
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TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO CONDUCT A STATEWIDE NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF NON‑CITIZEN victims of HUMAN trafficking.
WHEREAS, terrified and alone, many non-citizen victims of human trafficking escape to safety with only the clothes on their backs; and
WHEREAS, without resources to secure housing, food, medical care, or other basic necessities, non-citizen victims of human trafficking struggle to survive in our communities; and
WHEREAS, victim assistance and services for trafficked persons are constrained by factors such as legal provisions barring undocumented migrants from benefits and victim-related services; and
WHEREAS, individuals that are trafficked but are not identified or recognized by law enforcement as victims of a severe form of trafficking may be expeditiously removed or detained in criminal detention facilities across the country; and
WHEREAS, trafficking victims' fear of removal is exploited by traffickers to keep individuals isolated and under their control; and
WHEREAS, federal law may protect trafficked persons by providing immigration status, permission to work, and possible United States permanent residence once the victim is certified as a severe victim of trafficking; and
WHEREAS, once trafficked persons are identified, "certification" is a process by which trafficked persons are deemed eligible for benefits and services to the same extent as a refugee, namely federal and state benefits, including medical services, housing, legal services, protection, victim compensation and assistance, immigration benefits and programs, restitution, and translation and interpretation services; and
WHEREAS, because certification often requires a considerable length of time to process, typically six months, there is the need for pre-certification victim services from the time that individuals are identified as trafficked persons until they are certified by federal law enforcement, during which time trafficked persons may experience the greatest need for services; and
WHEREAS, trafficking victims are eligible for certain federally funded services, namely emergency Medicaid, immunizations, and access to domestic violence shelters and other exempt services but they are ineligible for other federally funded services such as cash assistance programs or state funded comprehensive health care services; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Human Services is requested to conduct a statewide needs assessment of non‑citizen victims of human trafficking; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in completing the needs assessment, the Department of Human Services:
(1) Collaborate with the task force that was established, to determine how Hawaii can best combat and deter human trafficking, pursuant to Act 260, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006;
(2) Identify existing obstacles, in statute, rule, or policy, that limit or deny benefits to non‑citizen victims of human trafficking; and
(3) Identify appropriate social, financial, and other services for victims of human trafficking, in general, including gaps in the services offered by state, county, and private agencies for victims of human trafficking; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Services and the Attorney General.
Social Services for Victims of Human Trafficking