STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2923

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 3

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.R. No. 3 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF AN EARLY CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS AND REDUCE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the convening of an early childhood sexual abuse working group to identify ways to address early childhood sexual abuse and create strategies to reduce child sexual abuse in Hawaii.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning, Hawaii Women's Coalition, and Zonta Club of Hilo.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and The Sex Abuse Treatment Center.

     Your Committees find that while child sexual abuse statistics vary, most research studies show between seventeen and twenty-five percent of girls and between seven and sixteen percent of boys will experience sexual abuse before the age of eighteen.  The emotional and physical pain that a child experiences from sexual abuse often results in depression, drug addiction, suicide, teenage pregnancy, and juvenile delinquency.  This measure convenes an early childhood sexual abuse working group to identify the means of addressing early childhood sexual abuse and create strategies for reducing child sexual abuse in Hawaii.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Expanding the members of the working group to include representatives of direct service providers, the preschool community, health care providers, and additional state agencies;

     (2)  Broadening the scope of the working group to include creating goals for a state policy that would, in addition to preventing early childhood sexual abuse, improve detection, identification, and response to early childhood sexual abuse; and

     (3)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 3, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 3, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

________________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair