STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1640

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 45

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 45, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MINORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow minors sixteen years of age or older and emancipated minors to petition for domestic abuse protective orders.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Youth Services Network and Hawai‘i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform and one individual.

Your Committee finds that several other states and jurisdictions allow minors of various ages to petition for a protective order without a parent or legal guardian's consent. Your Committee believes that Hawaii should similarly allow certain minors to petition for relief from domestic abuse through a protection order without a parent or legal guardian's consent.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making it effective upon approval; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 45, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 45, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair