STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1558

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1721

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 1721, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VIOLENCE AGAINST EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a criminal offense of:

     (1)  Assault in the second degree if the person intentionally

          and knowingly causes bodily injury to any emergency

          medical services personnel who is engaged in the

          performance of duty; and

     (2)  Terroristic threatening in the first degree if the

          person commits terroristic threatening against any

          emergency medical services personnel.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the bill from the Attorney General's Office, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and thirteen individuals.

     Your Committee finds that because of the volatile situations to which they respond, emergency services personnel need to be protected from the violence against them.

     Your Committee amended the bill by making technical non-substantive changes and by conforming the two statutory provisions on crimes against emergency medical services personnel while they are performing their jobs.  

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1721, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1721, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair