STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2330

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2315

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2315 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE COLLECTION KITS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to extend the deadline for each county police department to adopt and utilize an electronic tracking system for sexual assault evidence collection kits.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Hawaii, Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii Police Department, Sex Abuse Treatment Center at Kapiolani, and one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that Act 113, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018 (Act 113), requires each county police department to establish an electronic tracking system for sexual assault evidence collection kits no later than January 1, 2020.  The tracking system ensures that the kits are properly accounted for so that victims may follow up on the testing of their kits.  Your Committee further finds that the county police departments have been working with the Portland Police Department to implement the sexual assault management tracking system.  However, due to various operational and technical issues, the county police departments were unable to implement the electronic tracking system.  Currently, the county police departments are in the midst of implementing a simplified version of the tracking system in order to meet the requirements of Act 113.  This measure will extend the deadline for the county police departments to adopt the electronic tracking system, thereby ensuring the integrity of all sexual assault evidence collection kits.

 

     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. 2315 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair