STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1070-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   S.B. No. 2123

      S.D. 2

      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 S.B. No. 2123, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assist victims of human trafficking by establishing a working group to develop a comprehensive state plan to coordinate services for survivors of human trafficking.

The Office of Community Services of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Polaris Project, and several individuals supported this measure.  The Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery, Imua Alliance, and Pacific Survivor Center supported this measure with amendments.  The Department of Human Services and the Department of the Attorney General commented on this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring that specified establishments post in a conspicuous location a poster informing the public of information about the National Human Trafficking Resource Center;

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to post an electronic version of the poster on its public website;

     (3)  Establishing fines for violation of the posting requirement;

     (4)  Subjecting persons convicted of certain crimes related to prostitution to forfeit motor vehicles used or intended for use in that crime; and

     (5)  Imposing additional monetary fines for conviction of certain prostitution-related crimes.

     Your Committees note that this bill requires the Department of the Attorney General to oversee the working group and coordinate the development of the state plan; however the Department of the Attorney General does not actually provide social services to the public.  Its main objective is to provide legal advice and legal representation to state agencies.  The Department is concerned that it does not have the expertise or resources to create a plan for social or job training services for human trafficking survivors.

     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 S.B. No. 2123, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2123, S.D. 2, 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