STAND. COM. REP. NO.225

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 875

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 875 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL MATCHMAKING ORGANIZATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is enable persons recruited from foreign countries as prospective spouses by international matchmaking organizations to obtain criminal record and marital history information about their prospective partners who are Hawaii residents.

The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women testified in support of this measure. The Attorney General submitted comments on the measure.

Your Committee finds that many foreign women who utilize international matchmaking services come from the poorest regions of Asia. In order to escape their impoverished conditions, they make themselves available as potential mates for men who subscribe to international matchmaking services. With little information provided about their future partners, these women are at risk for abuse if they unknowingly enter into a relationship with someone with history of violence or domestic abuse. This measure will facilitate a more open matchmaking process by providing access to criminal and marital history information to matchmaking recruits and by requiring that matchmaking organizations inform recruits of the availability of this information.

Your Committee notes that the Attorney General raised concerns about this measure as it relates to criminal history record checks that should be further considered by the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 875, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 875, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing,

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair