STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3244

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3044

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 Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 3044, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OFFENSES AGAINST HEALTH CARE SECURITY PROFESSIONALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to classify the offense of assault in the second degree of a health care security professional as a class C felony.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hilo Medical Center, Queen's North Hawai‘i Community Hospital, Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children, Adventist Health, Straub Medical Center, The Queen's Medical Center – West O‘ahu, Molokai General Hospital, The Queen's Health Systems, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing.

Your Committee finds that hospitals across the State have been experiencing an increase in encounters with violent patients, which pose greater risks of workplace violence for health care security professionals. Your Committee notes that it is currently a felony to assault certain classes of workers, including correctional workers, education workers, employees of state operated or contracted mental health facilities, emergency medical service workers, firefighters, and water safety officers. Your Committee also finds that health care security professionals experience an increased risk of sustaining violent injuries due to the nature of their profession and that this increased risk qualifies them to be included in this group. Accordingly, this measure establishes parity for the protections of those working in a health care facility by classifying the offense of assault in the second degree of a health care security professional as a class C felony.

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. 3044, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair