STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2997

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2311

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2311, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAMPUS SAFETY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to strengthen campus safety and accountability procedures and protocols, including those relating to sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and related issues, at Hawaii's institutions of higher education.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the American Association of University Women of Hawaii, IMUAlliance, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, and three individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Commerce and consumer Affairs' Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program, and University of Hawaii System.

 

     Your Committee finds that that incidents of sexual and domestic violence are pervasive on college campuses in Hawaii.  More than twenty-two percent of female students at the University of Hawaii have experienced dating or domestic violence and about twelve percent have been sexually harassed or stalked during their time at the university, according to a survey of students released in 2018.  This measure requires the University of Hawaii and other higher education institutions to take steps to further protect Hawaii's college students.

 

     Your Committee also finds that the University of Hawaii is required under existing law to designate a confidential advocate at each campus, and therefore designation of a confidential resources advisor as proposed by this measure is duplicative.  

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting language that would have required the University of Hawaii to designate at least one confidential resource advisor; 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 Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2311, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2311, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair