STAND. COM. REP. NO. 976-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2131

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2131, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the manner in which sexual assault evidence collection kits are processed, stored, and tracked and to ensure that victims of sexual assault are informed of their rights under the law by, among other things:

(1) Creating and appropriating funds for a Hawaii Sexual Assault Response and Training Program established by the Department of the Attorney General;

(2) Requiring the Department of the Attorney General to submit annual reports to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate on the inventory and status of sexual assault evidence collection kits statewide;

(3) Establishing mandatory submission, testing, and storage requirements for sexual assault evidence collection kits;

(4) Requiring each county to establish an electronic tracking system for sexual assault evidence collection kits and establishing minimum requirements for the tracking system;

(5) Specifying the rights of victims of sexual assault to support from a trained crisis worker, information about the status of an evidence collection kit and any law enforcement action, information about reporting an offense to law enforcement, and information about available services; and

(6) Appropriating funds to all four counties for all costs associated with testing sexual assault evidence collection kits.

The Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Women's Coalition, American Association of University Women in Hawaii, The Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Community Alliance on Prisons, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, Hawai‘i Women Lawyers, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Department of the Attorney General, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Honolulu Police Department, and Joyful Heart Foundation provided comments.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2131, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair