STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3466

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 129

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Judiciary, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 129 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE HOW A STATEWIDE USE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ASSESSMENTS AND RESPONSE PROTOCOL BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN THE STATE'S OVERALL RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Health to convene a task force to examine how a statewide use of domestic violence assessments and response protocol by emergency medical services personnel can help to strengthen the State's overall response to domestic violence.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and two individuals.

Your Committees find that emergency medical services personnel and other first responders are uniquely positioned to assess significant threats to a victim's life or personal safety, including threats of domestic violence. Your Committees further find that the data collected by emergency medical services personnel is valuable not only in helping protect victims of domestic violence, but also in preparing emergency medical services personnel and other first responders for the potential dangers associated with responding to domestic violence incidents. Your Committees also find that the work done by emergency medical services personnel is critical and time-sensitive, and that data collection in such circumstances should be performed with care. Accordingly, your Committees find that the State would benefit from a task force to examine the effect of potential statewide use of domestic violence assessments and response protocol on the State's overall response to domestic violence.

Your Committees have heard the concern of an individual testifier that the proposed task force, as currently constituted, lacks input from survivors of domestic violence. Your Committees also note that since the members of the task force are drawn from each of the State's counties, the members may find it difficult to meet in person.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requesting survivors and parents of survivors of domestic violence to serve as members of the task force at the invitation of the chair;

(2) Requesting the task force to allow member presence and participation via teleconference, as well as in person, to encourage participation of members from neighbor islands; 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 Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 129, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 129, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair