STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3218

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 62

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 62 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING CONGRESS TO ENACT REFORMS ADDRESSING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT IN THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge Congress to enact reforms addressing sexual harassment and assault in the United States Armed Forces.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Planned Parenthood of Hawaii and one individual.

     Your Committees find that despite the "zero tolerance" sexual harassment and assault policy that has been implemented by military leadership for the past twenty-five years, frequent acts of sexual harassment and assault continue in all branches of the military.  According to the Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, in 2012 there were approximately 26,000 occurrences of rape or unwanted sexual assault in the military, yet only 3,374 of these incidents were reported.  Several bills have been introduced in Congress to address the epidemic of sexual harassment and assault in the military.  It is imperative that the military justice system be reformed to address sexual harassment and assault in the United States Armed Forces and to ensure the well-being of military service members.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 62 and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair