STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2365

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2186

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2186 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH CARE WORKERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish heightened penalties for the assault and terroristic threatening of health care workers; and

(2) Clarify the definition of "terroristic threatening" to include the methods of contact.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Honolulu Police Department; Hawaiʻi State Center for Nursing; The Queen's Health System; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO;, Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center; Hawaii Pacific Health; Big Island Foster Home Operators; Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association; Hawaii Government Employee Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; and six individuals.

Your Committee finds that the risk of assault and terroristic threats to health care workers is increasing statewide and nationally, jeopardizing their safety and well-being. By addressing the definition of "health care workers", clarifying the meaning of terroristic threats to include more forms of contact, and imposing greater penalties to deter assaults against health care workers, this measure fortifies protections to provide safer environments for all medical service workers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the definition of "health care worker" to include employees or contractors of a health care facility or in the home of another, including foster care homes;

(2) Specifying a person commits the offense of assault in the first degree if a person intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a health care worker who is engaged in the performance of a duty at a health care facility or home of another, including a foster care home;

(3) Extending the penalties for terroristic threatening to threats against health care workers who are engaged in the performance of duties at a health care facility or home of another, including a foster care home;

(4) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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 S.B. No. 2186, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2186, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair