STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1142

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 1830

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1830, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide a safe haven for newborns by:

     (1)  Providing immunity from prosecution for persons leaving an unharmed newborn at a hospital, fire station, or police station, or with emergency medical services personnel, within seventy two hours of birth;

     (2)  Providing immunity from liability the hospital, fire station, police station, or emergency services personnel who receive the newborn; and

     (3)  Requiring that the individual leaving the newborn provide written information on the family medical history of the child; and

     (4)  Requiring personnel to make a reasonable effort to obtain certain information pertaining to the child from the person leaving the child.

The Hawaii Family Forum, Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii and a concerned individual supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Human Services opposed this bill.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Removing language from the definition of "police officer";

(2)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1830, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1830, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair