STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3751

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1959

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1959, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Extend for five years certain provisions from Act 19, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, and Act 238, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, relating to abuse of family or household members, including establishing a petty misdemeanor offense of abuse of family or household members, clarifying penalties for violations, and allowing a deferred acceptance of guilty plea for misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor abuse of family or household members offenses; and

(2) Require reports to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Maui, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Hawaii, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and two individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary and Crime Victim Compensation Commission.

Your Committee finds that Act 19, Session Laws of Hawaii 2020, established a five-year pilot project to strengthen state and county responses to domestic violence and increase offender accountability, and that Act 238, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, added coercive control between family or household members to the pilot project. Your Committee further finds that more data is necessary to evaluate the pilot project on factors including whether the length of case adjudication changed before and after the pilot project, whether recidivism rates changed, and whether successful completion of domestic violence intervention services increased. By extending the pilot project's sunset date and directing the Judiciary, in consultation with the Criminal Justice Research Institute, to collect data and evaluate the pilot project, this measure will ensure the project's effectiveness.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1959, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair