STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3828

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 117

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Judiciary, to which was referred S.R. No. 117 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN TO WORK WITH THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACTION CENTER, THE FILIPINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HAWAI‘I, AND OTHER CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE OF HAWAII, AS APPROPRIATE, TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN OUTREACH PROGRAM AIMED AT INFORMING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR ASSISTANCE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Urge the State Commission on the Status of Women to work with the Domestic Violence Action Center, the Filipino Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i, and other chambers of commerce of Hawaii, as appropriate, to develop and implement an outreach program aimed at informing domestic violence victims of various sources of assistance; and

(2) Request the State Commission on the Status of Women to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawai‘i Friends of Civil Rights, Filipino Association of University Women, and five individuals.

Your Committees find that Filipino women are much more likely to be fatal victims of domestic violence compared to Native Hawaiian and Japanese women relative to their proportions in the population, and comprise nearly one-third (28.9%) of all fatal domestic violence victims in Hawai‘i. Your Committees also find that nearly ten percent of domestic violence victims in Hawaii speak Filipino as their first language. This measure seeks to address the issue of domestic abuse by urging the State Commission on the Status of Women to work with other entities to develop and implement an outreach program to notify domestic violence victims on various sources by which they can receive help, including placement of posters and signage in various languages in discreet areas.

Your Committees note the testimony of the Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women indicating the possibility of socio-cultural factors in the Filipino community, in particular, that contribute to the overrepresentation of Filipino women in domestic abuse victims.

Your Committees also note the testimony of the Hawai‘i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence requesting that this measure be amended to allow the establishment of a task force that includes the Department of Health, Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center, The Legal Clinic, and the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in addition to the State Commission on the Status of Women, Domestic Violence Action Center, and the Filipino Chamber of Commerce.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Urging the State Commission on the Status of Women to establish a task force with representatives from the Domestic Violence Action Center, Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Department of Health, Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center – Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i, The Legal Clinic, and Hawai‘i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, to develop and implement an outreach program aimed at informing domestic violence victims of available sources of assistance, including placement of posters and signage in various languages in discreet areas;

(2) Requesting the State Commission on the Status of Women to submit a report of the task force's progress in the development and implementation of the outreach program, findings and recommendations, and proposed legislation if any, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024;

(3) Amending the list of recipients of certified copies of this measure;

(4) Amending its title to reflect its amended purpose; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

Your Committees further note the testimony of the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence raising concerns over the lack of resources to implement the outreach program requested under this measure. Your Committees request that the outreach program be implemented within the resources that are available.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 117, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 117, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair