Bill > HB1340

This bill establishes strict liability for crimes involving individuals who are 60 years of age or older across several different criminal statutes in Hawaii, including assault, unauthorized entry in a dwelling, theft, and forgery. Specifically, the bill removes language that previously required the perpetrator to know or reasonably know the victim's age, and instead imposes strict liability, meaning that a person can be held responsible for the offense regardless of whether they were aware of the victim's age. This means that if someone commits assault, theft, forgery, or unauthorized entry against a person 60 or older, they can be prosecuted and potentially convicted even if they did not realize the victim's age at the time of the crime. The bill modifies multiple sections of the Hawaii Revised Statutes to implement this change, effectively creating additional protections for elderly residents by removing a potential defense based on lack of knowledge about the victim's age. The changes apply to various degrees of offenses, ranging from first-degree assault to second-degree theft, and are designed to hold perpetrators accountable for crimes against older individuals.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1340&year=2026