Gov. Green signs public safety bills, including snake eyes for gambling house operators

Gov. Josh Green signed into law 17 bills aimed at crime prevention, public safety and law enforcement, including one that makes those owning or operating illegal gambling houses criminally responsible.

Senate Bill 2197 expands the definition of “advance gambling activity” to include various forms of material aid to gambling activities, such as creating gambling games, maintaining equipment and managing financial operations. The new law emphasizes the responsibility of those with control over premises used for gambling.

In written testimony submitted in favor of the bill, the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu said the measure fixes a flaw in the former law. That statute included the words “or makes no effort to prevent its occurrence or continuation,” and the new law deletes those words.

The Honolulu prosecutors say the words “effectively bar prosecutors from charging someone with this particular offense, if a defendant has made any effort whatsoever — even a verbal reprimand to a tenant, or to a property manager — to stop the illegal gambling activities occurring on a property. Deleting these words would likely close the loophole, and place more responsibility on these property holders and others involved with these enterprises.”

“Illegal gambling establishments throughout the state — and perhaps most alarmingly in our residential neighborhoods — have become notorious for attracting and fostering violence, illicit drugs, sex trafficking and other dangerous activity,” the prosecutors said. “This is not a victimless crime, and it is not healthy for our communities.”

They said they hope, with enactment of the new law, property owners and others involved with illegal gambling establishments will be more motivated to take their responsibilities seriously, and to make more meaningful efforts to stop and/or prevent gambling activities. If not, then prosecutors will be better equipped to take legal action against them.

Other bills signed into law ranged from gun control to support for survivors of abuse.

Those bills included:

Senate Bill 2845, which aligns ammunition regulations with existing firearm laws by prohibiting the sale, ownership and possession of ammunition by individuals under 21. The measure has specific exemptions for hunting and target shooting activities. The new law introduces stringent identification verification requirements for sellers of firearms and updates penalties and enforcement measures to ensure compliance.

Senate Bill 2601, which extends the time period for initiating civil actions for childhood sexual abuse committed on or after July 1, 2024. This extension acknowledges the cognitive and emotional barriers that often delay disclosure. The new law allows courts to mandate trauma-informed response training for legal entities involved in such cases, enhancing sensitivity and appropriateness in handling allegations.

The bill’s legislative finding says that child sexual abuse is extremely prevalent, and that most children do not immediately disclose the fact that they were abused.

“In the United States, one in five girls and one in 20 boys is a victim of childhood sexual abuse, and studies show that between 60 and 80% of survivors withhold disclosure,” the finding says. “Of those who delay disclosure until adulthood, the average delay has been found to be approximately 20 years, with some survivors delaying up to 50 years.”

House Bill 2231, which sets a goal to increase the representation of women law enforcement officers to 30% by 2030 and includes nonbinary officers in law enforcement agencies. The new underscores the benefits of diversity, including improved public trust and better outcomes for crime victims. It requires law enforcement agencies to recruit officers from diverse backgrounds, including diverse educational backgrounds, and establishes benchmarks to measure progress towards the diversity goals.