HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	143
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

REquesting the Department of the Attorney General to report to the Legislature on ways to strengthen the State's registration of sex offenders and offenders against minors.

WHEREAS, sex offender registration and notification programs are important for public safety purposes; and

WHEREAS, sex offender registration is a system for monitoring and tracking sex offenders following their release into the community – providing important information about convicted sex offenders, such as the offender's name, current location, and past offenses, to local and federal authorities and the public; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii, persons who commit serious sexual offenses or crimes against minors, including sexual assault, sex trafficking, and kidnapping, must register with and regularly provide information to the Attorney General; and

WHEREAS, generally, a covered offender must register for life; however, when certain requirements are met, an offender may petition the court to terminate the offender's registration requirement pursuant to chapter 846E, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

WHEREAS, given the serious nature of the offenses for which an offender must register, the only reason an offender's registration requirement should be terminated is if the offender is later found innocent of the offense subject to registration; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that the Department of the Attorney General is requested to examine ways to strengthen the State's registration of sex offenders and offenders against minors, including by amending state law to only allow covered offenders to terminate registration requirements if the offender is later proven innocent of the offense that mandates registration; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of the Attorney General is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Attorney General and Administrator of the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Attorney General; Covered Offender Registration; Report