STAND. COM. REP. NO.  269-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1900

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1900 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking by:

     (1)  Establishing the Address Confidentiality Program (Program) to maintain the secrecy of the addresses of those victims upon relocation; and

     (2)  Appropriating funds to the Department of Accounting and General Services for the implementation and operation of the Program.  

The City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, Hawaii State Democratic Women's Caucus, The Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Parents and Children Together, Crime Victim Compensation Commission, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Domestic Violence Action Center, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, American Association of University Women, and a concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Accounting and General Services and Office of Information Practices provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Defining the word "agency" to incorporate all agencies necessary to effectuate this program;

     (2)  Removing the definitions of "state agency" and "resident";

     (3)  Removing the Department of Accounting and General Services as the department responsible for the program and changing all references to the Department of Accounting and General Services to an unspecified department;

     (4)  Requiring the program director to designate, rather than hire, applicant assistants to assist applicants of the Program;

     (5)  Allowing the parent or guardian of any individual residing with the parent or guardian to participate in the Program, rather than only minor residents;

     (6)  Clarifying that a secondary participant's participation in the Program ends when the primary participant's participation in the Program ends for any reason;

     (7)  Clarifying the secondary participant's participation in the Program will be cancelled if a renewal application from the secondary participant is not received or approved by the Program;

     (8)  Distinguishing between the disclosure of public records pursuant to Chapter 92F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and disclosure pursuant to a court order;

     (9)  Clarifying that an employee of any agency that has received a request from a Program participant to use a substitute address shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if the employee knowingly discloses any address or telephone number that the Program participant uses other than the substitute address;

     (10) Requires the director of the Program, rather than the Comptroller to adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to carry out the provisions of this measure; and

     (11) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion.

     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 H.B. No. 1900, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1900, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair