STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1260
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: H.B. No. 841
H.D. 2
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2023
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 841, H.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC ABUSE PROTECTIVE ORDERS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and
intent of this measure is to require
domestic abuse protective order cases to be reported to the Department of Human
Services when the case involves allegations of child abuse or neglect, rather
than allegations of domestic abuse.
Your Committee
received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Judiciary, Hawai‘i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence
Action Center, Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform, and one
individual.
Your Committee finds that the automatic
referral of domestic abuse protective order cases to the Department of Human
Services' Child Welfare Services Branch can deter parents of children
experiencing domestic violence from pursuing a temporary restraining order
against abusers. Abusers often use the
threat of child removal or custody to dissuade victims from reporting domestic
violence, and Child Welfare Services Branch investigations often cause domestic
violence survivors further traumatization and victimization. This measure supports domestic violence
survivors by limiting the scope of cases required for referral to the
Department of Human Services, and reserves the Department's resources for
investigations of reports of child abuse.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 841, H.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,
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________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair |
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