SB 832 Summary

• Expands the victim-counselor privilege under Hawaii Rules of Evidence Rule 505.5 to include confidential advocates employed by the University of Hawaii.

• Adds "confidential advocate" as a category of victim counselor, defined as a person designated by the University of Hawaii to confidentially discuss sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking with victims who has completed a minimum of thirty-five hours of training.

• Expands the definition of "victim" to include persons seeking assistance for dating violence, stalking, and sexual harassment in addition to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.

• Changes victim-counselor privilege from "absolute" to "semiabsolute," allowing communications with confidential advocates to remain confidential even when the alleged perpetrator is a University of Hawaii employee.

• Effective date: July 1, 2050.