STAND. COM. REP. NO.  275-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 1994

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1994 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide social services for the survivors and victims of human trafficking by:

     (1)  Requiring the Office of Community Services to coordinate with relevant federal, state, and county agencies to assist human trafficking survivors, and authorizing the Office to enter into contracts with nongovernmental organizations to provide social services, and other services for victims;

     (2)  Providing notification, assessment, and certification procedures to identify human trafficking survivors who are eligible for services;

     (3)  Requiring certain government entities to provide a United States Citizenship and Immigration Service Form I-914 Supplement B Declaration of Law Enforcement Officer for Survivor of Trafficking in Persons to a human trafficking survivor upon request;

     (4)  Authorizing the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations to adopt rules to implement and enforce the mandated services for survivors of human trafficking; and

     (5)  Appropriating funds to be expended by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to assist survivors and victims of human trafficking.

Equality Now, Rice Consulting, and many concerned individuals supported the measure.  The Polaris Project, IMUAlliance, and The Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery supported the measure with amendments.  The Department of Human Services supported the intent of the measure.  The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu opposed the measure.  The Office of Community Services of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Harm Reduction Hawaii offered comments on the measure.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Rather than granting contractual authority, requiring the Office of Community Services to develop a plan for the delivery of services, including legal services, to pre-certified victims of human trafficking;

     (2)  Deleting the provision that relates to supplementary funds and services, and the duplication of benefits provided by federal government to survivors of human trafficking;

     (3)  Specifying requirements of the plan that would provide services to victims of human trafficking, and requiring the plan to be approved and periodically reviewed by the Department of Human Services;

     (4)  Deleting the rulemaking authority of the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations as to implementing and enforcing the mandated services for survivors of human trafficking;

     (5)  Deleting appropriation language;

     (6)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1994, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1994, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair