STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1587-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2456

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2456, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HARASSMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to expand the scope of, and strengthen, existing laws against harassment by including harassment through other computer communications within the offense of harassment and the offense of harassment by stalking.  This bill also makes the offense of harassment, and the offense of harassment by stalking, a class C felony.

     The Department of Education supported this bill.  The Law Offices of Marvin S.C. Dang, LLLC, supported the intent of this measure.  The Office of the Public Defender and Honolulu Police Department opposed this bill.  The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting provisions that establish the offense of harassment by impersonation as a petty misdemeanor.

     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 S.B. No. 2456, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2456, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair