STAND. COM. REP. NO.7

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 881

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 881 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require public safety officers, sheriffs, and deputy sheriffs to report cases of suspected child abuse and to authorize them to take the child victim into protective custody.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, County of Maui; and one concerned citizen. Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Department of Public Safety. The Department of Human Services submitted comments on this measure.

Your Committee finds that, under current law, public safety officers, sheriffs, and deputy sheriffs are not mandated to report cases of suspected child abuse to the Department of Human Services or to the police and lack authority to assume protective custody of the child victim. Your Committee believes the safety and welfare of the child victim would be better protected if public safety officers, sheriffs, and deputy sheriffs were conferred with the same statutory authority as exists for law enforcement agencies and police officers in cases of suspected child abuse.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 881 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair