STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2359

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2480

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 Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2480 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROTECTIVE ORDERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a Hawaii Hope Card Program within the Department of the Attorney General to issue cards verifying a person's long-term protective order.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that several jurisdictions throughout the nation have adopted Hope Card Programs. The Hope Card allows someone who has been granted an order of protection in one jurisdiction to easily prove it in another jurisdiction. Hope Cards are wallet-sized and compact and are intended as a more convenient way for people who have permanent orders of protection to always keep relevant information about their orders with them. The Hope Card lets law enforcement know that there is a valid, permanent order of protection in place. Your Committee notes that a Hope Card is not a substitute for an order of protection, but it includes relevant information related to a valid, permanent order of protection.

Your Committee further finds that under existing law, protected individuals, including young minors, are required to always carry the nine-page documents that prove an order of protection is in place. Doing so is not only inconvenient but may quickly render the order illegible due to wear and tear. Your Committee finds that the State should adopt a Hope Card Program to increase the safety of the persons protected by these orders by making it easy to always carry proof of protection.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that a Hope Card shall be similar in size and material to a Hawaii state driver license, display a color photograph of the person to be restrained by the long-term protective order, if available and confirmed by the court issuing the long-term protective order, and contain essential information if such information is provided within the long-term protective order; 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. 2480, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2480, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair