STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2807

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2741

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2741 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEX TRAFFICKING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Human Services to establish, or contract with a victim service provider to operate or manage an emergency shelter for victims of sex trafficking, subject to available funding; and

(2) Exempt compensation received by a victim service provider for operating a sex trafficking emergency shelter from the general excise tax.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women and IMUAlliance. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hale Kipa, Inc. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Hawaii Youth Services Network.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii does not have a dedicated shelter for victims of sex trafficking. This lack of an emergency shelter impedes the State's effectiveness in responding to sexual exploitation by preventing government agencies and victim service providers from establishing a coordinated continuum of care and protection for victims in a centralized location.

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 Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2741, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2741, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

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RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair