STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1123-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2223

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2223 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHANGE OF NAME,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow a family court to change the name of a minor child in a divorce proceeding if:

(1)  Either parent has been convicted of sexual abuse on the child; or

(2)  The court otherwise determines it is in the best interest of the child, notwithstanding the absence of a conviction for the abuse.

The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women and Sex Abuse Treatment Center provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Family Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association opposed this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2080, to facilitate further discussion; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2223, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2223, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair