115
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION
  REQUESTING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR
    IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND EXPAND THE DOMESTIC
    VIOLENCE WORKING GROUP TO ENCOMPASS ISSUES RELATING TO
    CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.
 


 1        WHEREAS, domestic violence is among the most critical
 2   issues impacting the lives of the people of Hawaii today,
 3   affecting their health and economic viability and endangering
 4   their lives and often the lives of their children; and
 5   
 6        WHEREAS, the Domestic Violence Working Group, convened as
 7   a result of House Concurrent Resolution No. 65, H.D. 1, Regular
 8   Session of 1999, began a review of policies and procedures of
 9   the criminal justice system as they relate to domestic violence
10   among adults during the summer of 1999; and
11   
12        WHEREAS, the Domestic Violence Working Group submitted a
13   report titled "Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice
14   System in Hawaii" to the Twentieth Legislature, State of
15   Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, identifying gaps and making
16   recommendations; and
17   
18        WHEREAS, having made recommendations, many of which
19   involve neither funding nor legislation, the Domestic Violence
20   Working Group finds that there now is a need to monitor and
21   assess the implementation of those recommendations; and
22   
23        WHEREAS, a coordinating body is necessary to undertake the
24   monitoring and assessment tasks; and
25   
26        WHEREAS, the Domestic Violence Working Group has direct
27   knowledge of the bases of the recommendations that were made;
28   and
29   
30        WHEREAS, the membership of the original working group was
31   limited and did not include private and government
32   representatives of child and adolescent services; and
33   
34        WHEREAS, accordingly, the 1999 Domestic Violence Working
35   Group felt unable to examine those crucial issues surrounding
36   children and adolescents involved in domestic violence
37   situations as witnesses to or victims of partner abuse; now,
38   therefore,
39   

 
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                                  H.R. NO.              
                                                        
                                                        


 1        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
 2   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
 3   of 2000, that the Attorney General is requested to establish a
 4   2000 Domestic Violence Working Group to:
 5   
 6        (1)  Oversee the implementation of the recommendations
 7             made in the "Domestic Violence and Criminal Justice
 8             System in Hawaii" report submitted to the Legislature
 9             and act as the coordinating body for the monitoring
10             and assessment of that process; and
11   
12        (2)  Coordinate an examination of practices and
13             procedures, within the civil and criminal justice
14             system, as they relate to children and youth involved
15             in domestic violence situations as witnesses to or
16             victims of partner abuse;
17   
18   and
19   
20        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2000 Domestic Violence
21   Working Group include those same representatives as the 1999
22   Domestic Violence Working Group in order to facilitate the
23   continuation of the group's work; and
24   
25        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2000 Domestic Violence
26   Working Group be charged with including input from the relevant
27   child and adolescent service community, including but not
28   limited to the following:
29   
30        (1)  The Hawaii Youth Services Network;
31   
32        (2)  Youth service providers;
33   
34        (3)  A representative from Department of Human Services;
35   
36        (4)  A representative from the Office of Youth Services;
37             and
38   
39        (5)  A representative from the Department of Health;
40   
41   and
42   

 
 
 
 
 
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                                  H.R. NO.              
                                                        
                                                        


 1        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Attorney General submit
 2   the findings and recommendations of the 2000 Domestic Violence
 3   Working Group to the Legislature no later than twenty days
 4   prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2001; and
 5   
 6        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
 7   Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Justice of the Hawaii
 8   Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the Director of Public
 9   Safety, the Director of Human Services, the Director of Health,
10   the Director of the Office of Youth Services, the Prosecuting
11   Attorney of each county, the Chief of Police of each county,
12   and the Executive Directors of the Hawaii State Coalition
13   Against Domestic Violence and the Hawaii State Commission on
14   the Status of Women.
15 
16 
17 
18                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________