HI HR12

Requests the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women to convene a task force to study missing and murdered Native Hawaiian women and girls.

Task force to be co-chaired by the Executive Director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women and the Chief Executive Officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, with membership including representatives from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, courts, Attorney General's office, county committees on the status of women, and county police chiefs.

Task force to examine causes of harm to indigenous women and girls, review current databases and data collection methods, identify barriers to data collection and information sharing, create partnerships to increase reporting and investigations, and recommend necessary legislation.

Data cited shows 77 percent of sex trafficking victims surveyed in 2018 were Native Hawaiian, 64 percent in 2019, and one out of three child sex trafficking victims reported from 2017-2019 were Native Hawaiian.

Task force to submit preliminary report by twenty days before the 2023 legislative session and final report by twenty days before the 2024 legislative session.