STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2167

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 277

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 Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 277 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SEXUAL OFFENSES AGAINST MINORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Increase the penalty for promoting minor-produced sexual images to a felony if the person is more than three years older than the minor;

(2) Extend the probationary term for felony obscenity offenses;

(3) Toll the statute of limitations for obscenity offenses during a victim's minority; and

(4) Require sex offender registration for felony obscenity offenses involving minors.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Maui, Honolulu Police Department, Libertarian Party of Hawaii, Imua Alliance, and five individuals.

Your Committee finds that sexual exploitation of minors, especially in the digital age, is a rapidly evolving and deeply harmful form of abuse. Your Committee further finds that child victims of image-based sexual abuse suffer psychologically and emotionally due to the shame, fear, guilt, and other lasting traumatic effects of these crimes. This measure updates the State's laws to reflect the severity of these offenses and facilitate effective prosecution in state courts.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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. 277, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 277, 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