SB594

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	594
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to crimes against seniors.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 706-660.2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) Notwithstanding section 706-669, if not subjected to an extended term of imprisonment pursuant to section 706-662, a person shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment without possibility of parole as provided in subsection (2) if[:

~~(a)~~ ~~The~~] the person, in the course of committing or attempting to commit a felony, causes the death or inflicts serious or substantial bodily injury upon another person who is:

[~~(i)~~] (a) Sixty years of age or older;

[~~(ii)~~] (b) Blind, a paraplegic, or a quadriplegic; or

[~~(iii)~~] (c) Eight years of age or younger; and

[~~(b)~~ ~~Such~~] for paragraph (b) or (c), the disability is known or reasonably should be known to the defendant."

SECTION 2. Section 706-662, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§706-662 Criteria for extended terms of imprisonment. A defendant who has been convicted of a felony may be subject to an extended term of imprisonment under section 706-661 if it is proven beyond a reasonable doubt that an extended term of imprisonment is necessary for the protection of the public and that the convicted defendant satisfies one or more of the following criteria:

(1) The defendant is a persistent offender in that the defendant has previously been convicted of two or more felonies committed at different times when the defendant was eighteen years of age or older;

(2) The defendant is a professional criminal in that:

(a) The circumstances of the crime show that the defendant has knowingly engaged in criminal activity as a major source of livelihood; or

(b) The defendant has substantial income or resources not explained to be derived from a source other than criminal activity;

(3) The defendant is a dangerous person in that the defendant has been subjected to a psychiatric or psychological evaluation that documents a significant history of dangerousness to others resulting in criminally violent conduct, and this history makes the defendant a serious danger to others. Nothing in this section precludes the introduction of victim-related data to establish dangerousness in accord with the Hawaii rules of evidence;

(4) The defendant is a multiple offender in that:

(a) The defendant is being sentenced for two or more felonies or is already under sentence of imprisonment for any felony; or

(b) The maximum terms of imprisonment authorized for each of the defendant's crimes, if made to run consecutively, would equal or exceed in length the maximum of the extended term imposed or would equal or exceed forty years if the extended term imposed is for a class A felony;

(5) The defendant is an offender against the elderly, handicapped, or a minor eight years of age or younger in that:

(a) The defendant attempts or commits any of the following crimes: murder, manslaughter, a sexual offense that constitutes a felony under chapter 707, robbery, felonious assault, burglary, or kidnapping; and

(b) The defendant, in the course of committing or attempting to commit the crime, inflicts serious or substantial bodily injury upon a person who has the status of being:

(i) Sixty years of age or older;

(ii) Blind, a paraplegic, or a quadriplegic; or

(iii) Eight years of age or younger; and

For subparagraph (ii) or (iii), the person's status is known or reasonably should be known to the defendant;

(6) The defendant is a hate crime offender in that:

(a) The defendant is convicted of a crime under chapter 707, 708, or 711; and

(b) The defendant intentionally selected a victim or, in the case of a property crime, the property that was the object of a crime, because of hostility toward the actual or perceived race, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation of any person. For purposes of this subsection, "gender identity or expression" includes a person's actual or perceived gender, as well as a person's gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression, regardless of whether that gender identity, gender-related self-image, gender-related appearance, or gender-related expression is different from that traditionally associated with the person's sex at birth; or

(7) The defendant is convicted under section 707-702.5 and the defendant did not remain at the scene of the crime and render reasonable assistance to an injured person, including acts and omissions in violation of section 291C-12."

SECTION 3. Section 707-710, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) A person commits the offense of assault in the first degree if the person intentionally or knowingly causes:

(a) Serious bodily injury to another person; or

(b) Substantial bodily injury to a person who is sixty years of age or older [~~and the age of the injured person is known or reasonably should be known to the person causing the injury~~]."

SECTION 4. Section 707-711, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) A person commits the offense of assault in the second degree if the person:

(a) Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes substantial bodily injury to another;

(b) Recklessly causes serious bodily injury to another;

(c) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a correctional worker, as defined in section 710-1031(2), who is engaged in the performance of duty or who is within a correctional facility;

(d) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to another with a dangerous instrument;

(e) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to an educational worker who is engaged in the performance of duty or who is within an educational facility. For the purposes of this paragraph, "educational worker" means any administrator, specialist, counselor, teacher, or employee of the department of education or an employee of a charter school; a person who is a volunteer, as defined in section 90-1, in a school program, activity, or function that is established, sanctioned, or approved by the department of education; or a person hired by the department of education on a contractual basis and engaged in carrying out an educational function;

(f) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to any emergency medical services provider who is engaged in the performance of duty. For the purposes of this paragraph, "emergency medical services provider" means emergency medical services personnel, as defined in section 321-222, and physicians, physician's assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, respiratory therapists, laboratory technicians, radiology technicians, and social workers, providing services in the emergency room of a hospital;

(g) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a person employed at a state-operated or -contracted mental health facility. For the purposes of this paragraph, "a person employed at a state-operated or -contracted mental health facility" includes health care professionals as defined in section 451D-2, administrators, orderlies, security personnel, volunteers, and any other person who is engaged in the performance of a duty at a state-operated or -contracted mental health facility;

(h) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a person who:

(i) The defendant has been restrained from, by order of any court, including an ex parte order, contacting, threatening, or physically abusing pursuant to chapter 586; or

(ii) Is being protected by a police officer ordering the defendant to leave the premises of that protected person pursuant to section 709-906(4), during the effective period of that order;

(i) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to any firefighter or water safety officer who is engaged in the performance of duty. For the purposes of this paragraph, "firefighter" has the same meaning as in section 710-1012 and "water safety officer" means any public servant employed by the United States, the State, or any county as a lifeguard or person authorized to conduct water rescue or ocean safety functions;

(j) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a person who is engaged in the performance of duty at a health care facility as defined in section 323D-2. For purposes of this paragraph, "a person who is engaged in the performance of duty at a health care facility" includes health care professionals as defined in section 451D-2, physician assistants, surgical assistants, advanced practice registered nurses, nurse aides, respiratory therapists, laboratory technicians, and radiology technicians;

(k) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a person who is engaged in providing home health care services, as defined in section 431:10H-201;

(l) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a person, employed or contracted to work by a mutual benefit society, as defined in section 432:1-104, to provide case management services to an individual in a hospital, health care provider's office, or home, while that person is engaged in the performance of those services;

(m) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a person who is sixty years of age or older [~~and the age of the injured person is known or reasonably should be known to the person causing the injury~~]; or

(n) Intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a sports official who is engaged in the lawful discharge of the sports official's duties. For the purposes of this paragraph, "sports official" and "lawful discharge of the sports official's duties" have the same meaning as in section 706-605.6."

SECTION 5. Section 708-812.55, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) A person commits the offense of unauthorized entry in a dwelling in the first degree if the person intentionally or knowingly enters unlawfully into a dwelling and another person was, at the time of the entry, lawfully present in the dwelling who:

(a) Was sixty years of age or older [~~and the age of the person lawfully present in the dwelling was known or reasonably should have been known to the person who unlawfully entered~~];

(b) Was an incapacitated person; or

SECTION 6. Section 708-830.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) A person commits the offense of theft in the first degree if the person commits theft of:

(a) Property or services, the value of which exceeds $20,000;

(b) A firearm;

(d) Property or services during an emergency period proclaimed by the governor or mayor pursuant to chapter 127A, within the area covered by the emergency or disaster under chapter 127A, the value of which exceeds $300;

(e) Property from the person of another who is sixty years of age or older [~~and the age of the property owner is known or reasonably should be known to the person who commits theft~~];

(f) Property or services, the value of which exceeds $750, from a person who is sixty years of age or older and the age of the property owner is known or reasonably should be known to the person who commits theft; or

(g) A motor vehicle or motorcycle as defined in section 291C-1."

SECTION 7. Section 708-831, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) A person commits the offense of theft in the second degree if the person commits theft of:

(a) Property from the person of another;

(b) Property or services the value of which exceeds $750;

(c) An aquacultural product or part thereof from premises that are fenced or enclosed in a manner designed to exclude intruders or there is prominently displayed on the premises a sign or signs sufficient to give notice and reading as follows: "Private Property", "No Trespassing", or a substantially similar message;

(d) Agricultural equipment, supplies, or products, or part thereof, the value of which exceeds $100 but does not exceed $20,000, or of agricultural products that exceed twenty-five pounds, from premises that are fenced, enclosed, or secured in a manner designed to exclude intruders or where there is prominently displayed on the premises a sign or signs sufficient to give notice and reading as follows: "Private Property", "No Trespassing", or a substantially similar message; or if at the point of entry of the premises, a crop is visible. The sign or signs, containing letters no less than two inches in height, shall be placed along the boundary line of the land in a manner and in such a position as to be clearly noticeable from outside the boundary line. Possession of agricultural products without ownership and movement certificates, when a certificate is required pursuant to chapter 145, is prima facie evidence that the products are or have been stolen;

(e) Agricultural commodities that are generally known to be marketed for commercial purposes. Possession of agricultural commodities without ownership and movement certificates, when a certificate is required pursuant to section 145-22, is prima facie evidence that the products are or have been stolen; provided that "agricultural commodities" has the same meaning as in section 145-21;

(f) Property commonly used to store items of monetary value, including but not limited to any purse, handbag, or wallet;

(g) Property or services, the value of which exceeds $250, from a person who is sixty years of age or older [~~and the age of the property owner is known or reasonably should be known to the person who commits theft~~]; or

(h) An electric gun as defined in section 134-81."

SECTION 8. Section 708-851, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) A person commits the offense of forgery in the first degree if, with intent to defraud, the person falsely makes, completes, endorses, or alters a written instrument, or utters a forged instrument, or fraudulently encodes the magnetic ink character recognition numbers, which is or purports to be, or which is calculated to become or to represent if completed:

(a) Part of an issue of stamps, securities, or other valuable instruments issued by a government or governmental agency;

(b) Part of an issue of stock, bonds, or other instruments representing interests in or claims against a corporate or other organization or its property; or

(c) All or part of a deed, will, codicil, contract, assignment, commercial instrument, or other instrument which does or may evidence, create, transfer, terminate, or otherwise affect a legal right, interest, obligation, or status and[:

~~(i)~~ ~~The~~] the purported maker or drawer of the written instrument or forged instrument is a person who is sixty years of age or older[~~; and~~

~~(ii)~~ The age of the purported maker or drawer of the written instrument or forged instrument is known or reasonably should be known to the person who falsely makes, completes, endorses, or alters the instrument; utters the forged instrument; or fraudulently encodes the magnetic ink character recognition numbers of the instrument]."

SECTION 9. Section 708-852, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) A person commits the offense of forgery in the second degree if, with intent to defraud, the person:

(a) Falsely makes, completes, endorses, or alters a written instrument, or utters a forged instrument, or fraudulently encodes the magnetic ink character recognition numbers, which is or purports to be, or which is calculated to become or to represent if completed, a deed, will, codicil, contract, assignment, commercial instrument, or other instrument which does or may evidence, create, transfer, terminate, or otherwise affect a legal right, interest, obligation, or status; or

(b) Falsely makes, completes, endorses, or alters a written instrument, or utters a forged instrument; and[:

~~(i)~~ ~~The~~] the purported maker or drawer of the written instrument or forged instrument is a person who is sixty years of age or older[~~; and~~

~~(ii)~~ The age of purported maker or drawer of the written instrument or forged instrument is known or reasonably should be known to the person who falsely makes, completes, endorses, or alters a written instrument; or utters a forged instrument]."

SECTION 10. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

SECTION 11. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 12. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Offenses Against Seniors; Penal Code; Enhanced Penalties

Description:

Removes the requirement that a perpetrator of certain crimes knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a person sixty years of age or older.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

SB 594: RELATING TO CRIMES AGAINST SENIORS.

Current Status:

News Coverage: