STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2343

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2183
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2183 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to create a criminal offense
of intimidating a health care worker.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the HGEA-AFSCME, Hawaii Nurses' Association, National
Association of Social Workers, Hawaii Medical Association, and a
private individual.  Informational testimony was presented by the
Office of the Public Defender.

     This measure is intended to protect health care workers,
defined as any licensed provider of health and human services,
and their agents, employees, and families, from threats or force
intended to influence their conduct, decision, action, or
abstention from action.

     Your Committee notes that the federal Occupational Safety
and Health Administration in 1996 identified health care settings
as workplaces at a greater risk for violence.  Your Committee
finds that social workers as well as health care workers have
significantly higher rates than the general public of on-the-job
nonfatal assaults.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this
measure to add social workers.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2343
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     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2183, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2183,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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