STAND. COM. REP. NO. 483-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1967

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor & Government Operations and Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1967 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM SERVICES FUND,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to change the administration of the Human Trafficking Victim Services Fund from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations - Office of Community Services; Imua Alliance; Hawaiʻi State Democratic Women's Caucus; and one individual.

Your Committees find that the Human Trafficking Victim Services Fund was established in 2014 to impose a human trafficking victim services fee upon individuals convicted of certain trafficking offenses and to provide support and services to human trafficking victims. When the fund was created, it was placed in the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. However, because the Department of the Attorney General provides services and assistance to victims of human trafficking and victims of the commercial sexual exploitation of children, it is appropriate to move the Human Trafficking Victim Services Fund from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Labor & Government Operations and Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1967, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1967, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor & Government Operations and Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair

____________________________ SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair