STAND. COM. REP. NO 166

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 519

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 519 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to specify that citizen complaints against a police officer that involve allegations of domestic violence against a family or household member by the police officer shall not be required to be in writing or sworn to by the complainant.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, American Association of University Women Hawaii, Domestic Violence Action Center, Hawaii Women's Coalition, and Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers.

     Your Committee finds that curtailing domestic violence is important for the health, safety, and welfare of citizens and that a vital part of reducing domestic violence is ensuring that those reporting acts of domestic violence feel secure and confident in coming forward with complaints.  The fear of chilling the voices of those wishing to report acts of domestic violence is particularly worrisome when those reports complain of acts of domestic violence perpetrated by a police officer against a family or household member.  Accordingly, this measure allows an individual to make a complaint against a police officer alleging an act of domestic violence against a family or household member without being required to swear to or make the complaint in writing.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 519, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 519, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair