STAND. COM. REP. NO. 813

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 994

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 994 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE OFFENSE OF PROMOTING PORNOGRAPHY FOR MINORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the offense of promoting pornography for minors to be instituted by written information.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Hawaiʻi; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that existing law does not permit the offense of promoting pornography for minors to be charged by written information, unlike other related offenses such as electronic enticement of a child and commercial sexual exploitation of a minor. This measure allows written information charging for this offense, ensuring prosecutors can act swiftly during undercover operations and strengthening law enforcement's ability to protect children from online exploitation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 994, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 994, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair