STAND. COM. REP. NO.  756

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   H.B. No. 887

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 887 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIME,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to update the sex trafficking laws to better reflect the current challenges created by the criminal enterprise involved in commercial sexual exploitation.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Honolulu Police Department, Hoola Na Pua, and one individual.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of the Public Defender.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Penal Code does not adequately account for all of the methods and forms of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.  This measure will better account for the various forms of sexual exploitation and human trafficking through changes in terminology and closing loopholes that protect culpable individuals.


     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 3021, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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. 887, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 887, 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,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair