STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3228

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2892

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2892, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REPORTS OF CHILD ABUSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to bring state law into compliance with the 2019 amendments to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act by providing immunity from civil and criminal liability to persons who report suspected cases of child abuse under certain circumstances.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-424), was enacted on January 7, 2019, further amending certain provisions of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which provides federal funding to states for prevention, assessment, investigation, prosecution, and treatment activities for child abuse and neglect. This measure updates state law to be in compliance with the 2019 amendments to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.

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 Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2892, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2892, S.D. 2.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair