STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1739

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1098

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1098, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMES AGAINST PROTECTIVE SERVICES WORKERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Specify that intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury to a protective services worker who is engaged in the performance of the worker's duties constitutes the offense of assault in the second degree, which is a class C felony; and

(2) Clarify that a protective services worker is a public servant for the purposes of terroristic threatening in the first degree.

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

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from six individuals.

Your Committee finds that, similar to police officers and firefighters, protective services workers put themselves in harm's way as part of their work as they investigate or provide services in response to reports of child abuse or neglect. Your Committee further finds that protective services workers have been the targets of physical violence and death threats perpetrated by individuals involved in protective services cases, with anecdotal data indicating that most protective services workers who have been employed for approximately five years or more have experienced serious threats or physical assaults in the course of their work. This measure will serve as a deterrent to decrease situations where protective services workers suffer from bodily injury or threats.

Your Committee notes that consideration should be given to include protective services persons who are employed by an agency contracted by the Department of Human Services within the definition of "protective services worker".

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 H.B. No. 1098, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair