STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2533

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2001

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2001 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MINORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require members of the clergy to report child abuse and neglect to the Department of Human Services or to the police and specifies that the general rule of privilege under the Hawaii Rules of Evidence for confidential communications made to a member of the clergy does not apply to communications relating to child abuse or neglect.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, IMUAlliance, Hawaii Youth Services Network, LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and five individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of the Public Defender.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting "communications to clergy" for conformity in section 350-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as suggested by the Department of Human Services; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 S.B. No. 2001, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2001, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair