HB2140

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is targeted toward ensuring that women who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assualt, including undocumented immigrants, are protected from their perpetrators.

The United States Department of Justice, through the Office on Violence Against Women, encourages nonprofits, community-based organizations, and other social service organizations to aid victims of violence by providing legal and social services to enable women to report abuse and cooperate with law enforcement without fear of being legally reprimanded due to their immigration status. VAWA makes undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assault eligible to apply for a work permit and a U-visa, which provides immigration status to non-citizens willing to assist authorities investigate crimes.

However, despite the provisions of VAWA, many victims do not report perpetrators or help to prosecute them because of fear of deportation. Many victims are unfamiliar with the laws that may protect them and their children. Additionally, women who have cooperated with authorities have been unable to financially support their families because of a lack of job experience, job training, and interviewing skills.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a pilot project to enable community-based organizations to provide legal advice and social services to victims of domestic violence or sexual assualt who are undocumented immigrants, in accordance with the goals of VAWA.

SECTION 2. (a) The department of human services shall establish a pilot project to assist undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assualt. The department may contract with a nonprofit organization to operate the pilot project and shall only contract with a nonprofit organization providing services that has expertise relating to the federal Violence Against Women Act.

(b) The pilot project shall provide the following services to undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence or sexual assualt:

(1) Assistance with restraining orders;

(2) Assistance with applications for U-visas, petitions under the federal Violence Against Women Act, and work permits;

(3) Workshops on building self-esteem and self-confidence;

(4) Instruction on appropriate workplace etiquette and appearance;

(5) Training in effective job search techniques;

(6) Career assessments, when appropriate, to identify marketable skills and assess employability;

(7) Information about current labor market trends for employment and training;

(8) Placement with employers who agree to hire a prearranged number of victims; and

(9) Post-employment services.

(d) The department of human services shall submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2010 that includes the following:

(1) A description of the process used to award contracts to nonprofit organizations that received funds pursuant to this section;

(2) A list of nonprofit organizations that were awarded contracts and the amount of funds awarded to each of the nonprofit organizations; and

(3) The number of victims that received services and the types of assistance they received.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval and shall be repealed on June 30, 2010.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2140
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII