STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1416

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   S.C.R. No. 15

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 15, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE FIRST WEEK IN FEBRUARY 2010 AS HAWAII TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION WEEK,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to help raise awareness of teen dating violence by designating the first week in February 2010 as Hawaii Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week and encouraging the development and implementation of appropriate programs and activities during this week.

     A concerned individual supported this concurrent resolution.

     Hawaii's teenagers are inundated by images of intimate partner violence.  High-profile news stories chronicle the exploits of abusive celebrity relationships and the local media has recently reported local incidents of intimate partner violence with very serious consequences.  Your Committees acknowledge that teenage years are filled with peer pressure as impressionable teens struggle to establish their identity amongst conflicting societal messages.  Just as teen dating violence is an on-going issue requiring consistent community attention and action, so too should teen dating violence awareness week be consistently observed year to year, in an on-going effort to prevent intimate partner violence among the state's youth.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended the title and substance of this concurrent resolution to designate the first week in February of every year as Hawaii Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week.

     Other technical, nonsubstantive amendments have been made for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 15, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 15, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair