STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1779

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 91

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 91 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CONVENING AN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEX ASSAULT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Commission on the Status of Women to convene a network of organizations for the support and development of local and international organizations to address domestic violence and sex assault issues.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Kapiolani Medical Center; Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women; and one individual.

     Domestic violence and sex assault is an international issue that permeates all levels of society, affecting people regardless of age, income, education, religion, or culture.  Organizations in countries around the world look to their counterpart organizations in the United States for leadership and methodologies to treat and prevent the occurrence of domestic violence and sex assault.

     Hawaii is the gateway between the United States and its Asian neighbors, making Hawaii-based organizations addressing domestic violence and sex assault natural conduits for international cooperation on this issue.

     The network would report to the 2008 Legislature.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting reference to convening a 2007 conference;

     (2)  Adding that the network facilitate training opportunities; and

     (3)  Clarifying the correct name of a referenced program as the Child and Family Services' Domestic Violence Shelter.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Transportation and International Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 91, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 91, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Transportation and International Affairs,

____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair