Bill > SB2252

This bill amends Hawaii's laws regarding assault to make it easier to prosecute crimes against elderly victims by removing the requirement that the perpetrator must have known or reasonably should have known the victim was sixty years of age or older when causing them substantial bodily injury (for first-degree assault) or bodily injury (for second-degree assault). This means that if someone assaults a person who is sixty or older, the prosecution no longer needs to prove the attacker's awareness of the victim's age; the attacker is now "strictly liable" for that specific circumstance, meaning their intent or knowledge regarding the victim's age is irrelevant to that element of the crime. This change aims to provide stronger protections for elder crime victims by simplifying the legal process for these offenses.

Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2252&year=2026