Every Voice Hawaiʻi Bills to Combat Campus Sexual Violence Signed by Governor

Every Voice Hawai'i student leaders at bill signing ceremony with Governor Green and our Lead Sponsor Rep. Kapela on June 14th. 

After three years of student and survivor-led advocacy, HB554 & HB580 have been signed into law by Governor Green after passing the Hawaiʻi Legislature with widespread, bi-partisan support

Wednesday June 14th, 2023

Honolulu, HI: On Wednesday, June 14th, Hawaiʻi bill’s HB554  "Relating to Campus Safety" and HB580 “Relating to Victim-Counselor Privilege,” were signed into law by Governor Josh Green at a ceremony attended by Hawai’i students, anti-sexual violence advocates and legislators. The two bills are groundbreaking legislation addressing the epidemic of sexual violence at the University of Hawaiʻi, and both passed the legislature with widespread, bipartisan support. 

Over the past three years, Every Voice Hawaiʻi student advocates across the University of Hawaiʻi campuses engaged their peers and met with stakeholders, experts, and legislators to draft what became HB554 and HB580. After both bills were refiled this year for the third session, Every Voice Hawaiʻi students tenaciously advocated for their bills and received widespread support and accolades from legislators across both chambers. Every Voice Hawaiʻi was honored to work alongside the offices of Lead Sponsors Representative Jeanné Kapela (HB554) and Representative Amy Perruso (HB580) and dozens of co-sponsors across both bills, including the Women’s Legislative Caucus.  

The Every Voice Hawaiʻi bills enact impactful measures to combat sexual violence and support student survivors studying at the University of Hawaiʻi. Specifically, HB554:

• Ensures amnesty protection for reporting parties who violate school code of conduct related to alcohol or drug use at the time of the assault(s) 

• Requires annual best-practice prevention and awareness training for all students and employees of the institution

• Requires all University personnel who participate in the implementation of the institution’s disciplinary process related to sexual misconduct and/or who directly support student survivors to receive trauma-informed response trainings

Additionally, HB580 amends Act 208 of 2016 (which requires University of Hawaiʻi to designate a confidential advocate at each campus to assist student survivors) and expands victim-counselor privilege to include these campus-based confidential advocates. This amendment will ensure that a student survivor never has to worry that any personal information or details of their experience of sexual misconduct that was shared with a confidential advocate at UH would be shared without the student survivor’s consent. 

The passage of these bills sends a clear message that the safety of students and student survivors studying in Hawaiʻi is paramount, urgent and a priority.

Words of Support

“Seeing these bills pass gives me hope for the future,” said Kealani Berg, an undergraduate student at University of Hawai’i, Hilo and a Steering Committee member of Every Voice Hawai’i. “I have often felt powerless when it comes to creating positive change, and this has shown me that anything is possible. I look forward to seeing students thrive in a safer environment where they can focus on their education.”

“These bills have the potential to change college environments for the better,” said Koalani Kauweloa, an undergraduate student at University of Hawai’i, Hilo and a Steering Committee member of Every Voice Hawai’i. “As a student and future educator I believe this is our gateway to a further successful education system; our islands need this implementation of safety in order to sustain the wellbeing of everyone!” 

“The passing of this bill [will] allow for a safer learning environment for all UH Mānoa students,” said Matthew Rummel, an undergraduate student at University of Hawai’i, Mānoa and a Steering Committee member of Every Voice Hawai’i. “[This also has] a great impact and influence for the national fight against sexual assault.” 

“Sexual violence has no place on our state’s college campuses,” said Representative Jeanné Kapela, sponsor of HB554 and Vice Chair of the House Higher Education and Technology Committee. “These measures will significantly strengthen prevention programming and survivor care throughout the University of Hawai’i system, ensuring that students aren’t silenced in their pursuit of healing and justice.”

The Every Voice Coalition (www.everyvoicecoalition.org) is a student, young alum and survivor-led organization working to pass student and survivor-written, survivor-centered legislation on the state level to prevent campus sexual violence and support survivors. Every Voice bills have been passed in six states: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Illinois, Nevada, Connecticut, and Maine. The Coalition is currently working in 15 states. 

Media Contacts: national@everyvoicecoalition.org