STAND. COM. REP. NO. 889

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 518

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 518, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require barber, beauty operator, and instructor licensees under the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology to complete a one-time, three-hour training program on intimate partner violence awareness and education.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and Domestic Violence Action Center.

     Your Committee finds that intimate partner violence is prevalent in every community and affects people regardless of age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality.  Professionals in the grooming and beauty industry may have a unique opportunity to notice signs of abuse in their clients.  These professionals often enjoy close relationships with their clients, which can put a grooming or beauty professional in the position to provide advice, resource information, and assistance.  By requiring a one-time, three-hour training program on intimate partner violence, this measure will enable more grooming and beauty industry licensees to recognize the signs of intimate partner violence and potentially direct their clients to much-needed resources.  Your Committee notes that this measure applies only to barber, beauty operator, and instructor licensees and believes that expanding the scope to other professional licensees merits further discussion as this measure moves through the legislative process.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to develop the intimate partner violence awareness and education training program in coordination with a domestic violence intervention program, rather than the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 518, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 518, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair