Bill Text: HI SB3035 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating To Manslaughter.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-01-26 - Referred to JDC. [SB3035 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-SB3035-Introduced.html

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

3035

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO MANSLAUGHTER.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 707-702, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§707-702  Manslaughter  (1)  A person commits the offense of manslaughter if:

    (a)   The person recklessly causes the death of another person; [or]

    (b)   The person intentionally causes another person to commit suicide; or

    (c)   The person knowingly and unlawfully distributes a dangerous drug in any amount and thereby recklessly causes the death of another person as a result of that person's ingesting that drug,

provided that this section shall not apply to actions taken under chapter 327L.

     (2)  It shall not be a defense to prosecution under subsection (1)(c) that the decedent contributed to the decedent's own death by voluntarily ingesting the dangerous drug.

     (3)  For purposes of this section:

     "Dangerous drug" has the same meaning as "dangerous drugs" as defined by section 712-1240; and

     "Distributes" has the same meaning as "to distribute" as defined by section 712-1240.

     [(2)] (4)  In a prosecution for murder or attempted murder in the first and second degrees it is an affirmative defense, which reduces the offense to manslaughter or attempted manslaughter, that the defendant was, at the time the defendant caused the death of the other person, under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance for which there is a reasonable explanation.  The reasonableness of the explanation shall be determined from the viewpoint of a reasonable person in the circumstances as the defendant believed them to be; provided that an explanation that is not otherwise reasonable shall not be determined to be reasonable because of the defendant's discovery, defendant's knowledge, or the disclosure of the other person's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, including under circumstances in which the other person made an unwanted nonforcible romantic or sexual advance toward the defendant, or in which the defendant and the other person dated or had a romantic relationship.  If the defendant's explanation includes the discovery, knowledge, or disclosure of the other person's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, the court shall instruct the jury to disregard biases or prejudices regarding the other person's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation in reaching a verdict.

     [(3)] (5)  Manslaughter is a class A felony."

     SECTION 2.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

BY REQUEST


 


 


 

Report Title:

Manslaughter; Dangerous Drug; Distribution

 

Description:

Amends the offense of manslaughter to include cases where a person knowingly and unlawfully distributes a dangerous drug in any amount and thereby recklessly causes the death of another person who ingested that drug.

 

 

 

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

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