STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1786

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 154

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 154 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ALL FORMS OF ANTI-ASIAN SENTIMENT AS RELATED TO COVID-19 AND URGING GREATER INVESTMENT IN FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL RESOURCES TO DEVELOP AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY‑WIDE SOLUTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to condemn all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID-19 and urge greater investment in federal, state, and local resources to develop and support community-wide solutions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, Hawai‘i Health and Harm Reduction Center, Common Cause Hawai‘i, Rainbow Family 808, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, Hawai‘i Friends of Civil Rights, Imua Alliance, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, and fourteen individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that a long and well-documented history of anti-Asian sentiment, going back to the nineteenth century, exists in the United States. Your Committee further finds that a spike in anti-Asian sentiment has occurred since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Anti-Asian terminology and rhetoric related to COVID-19 has perpetuated stigmas and resulted in Asian Americans being harassed, assaulted, and scapegoated. Your Committee additionally finds that anti-Pacific Islander sentiment also has a long history in the State, and that discriminatory incidents against Pacific-Islanders have also increased.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requesting the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice to identify and analyze incidents based on anti-Asian and anti-Pacific Islander sentiments, including disproportionate numbers of homicides of Pacific Islanders by law enforcement, and inform the Legislature of the Division's findings at the earliest opportunity;

(2) Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose;

(3) Providing for certified copies to be sent to the United States Attorney General, United States Attorney assigned to Hawai‘i, members of Hawai‘i's congressional delegation, and Chairperson of the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission; and

(4) 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 154, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 154, S.D. 1.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair