STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3236

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 100

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation, to which was referred S.R. No. 100 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO EXAMINE CYBERCRIME IN HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Attorney General:

     (1)  Examine several specific topics related to cybercrime in Hawaii; and

     (2)  Report to the 2009 Legislature on the findings, and any recommendations for legislation to deter and punish cybercrime.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from one individual.

     Your Committee finds that "traditional" crime has developed new forms to take advantage of increasingly sophisticated technology.  While many of the types of crime remain essentially similar, the use of technology has taken the means of perpetrating the crime to a new level.  Your Committee is supportive of this measure to assist in ensuring that Hawaii's laws are effective in dealing with cybercrime.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adding one additional topic to the study: cyberstalking involving e-mails containing false, derogatory, harassing, or defamatory messages, or those in which the sender pretends the messages are written by a person other than the sender.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 100, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 100, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Taxation,

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair