STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3237

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1967

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Labor and Technology and Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1967, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to change the administrating agency 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 Hawaiian Affairs, Rainbow Family 808, Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Women's Caucus, Imua Alliance, and five individuals.

Your Committees find that the Human Trafficking Victim Services Fund has been administratively attached to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations since its inception in 2014. Your Committees further find that in 2022 and 2023, the Legislature established within the Department of the Attorney General, a Special Investigations and Prosecution Division that serves as the State's primary prosecutorial unit responsible for prosecuting human trafficking and sex trafficking, and a statewide Human Trafficking Prevention Program that provides services and assistance to victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children. This measure will allow the Department of the Attorney General to use the Human Trafficking Victims Services Fund to supplement programs, grants, or purchase of service contracts that support or provide comprehensive services to these victims.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Labor and Technology and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair