STAND. COM. REP. NO. 894

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 580

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 580, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VICTIM-COUNSELOR PRIVILEGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Expand the victim-counselor privilege under the Hawaii Rules of Evidence to include confidential advocates employed by the University of Hawaii; and

(2) Increase the minimum number of hours of training a domestic violence victims' counselor must complete to be considered a victim counselor.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawai‘i System, American Association of University Women of Hawai‘i, Every Voice Coalition Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i State Democratic Women's Caucus, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus, Imua Alliance, Hawai‘i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and fourteen individuals.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 580, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair