(a) An employee of the department engaged in an investigation under this part shall be authorized to visit and communicate with the vulnerable adult who is the subject of the report. Any person intentionally or knowingly obstructing or interfering with the department’s access to or communication with the vulnerable adult shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Attorney's Note

Under the Hawaii Revised Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
misdemeanorup to 1 year$2,000
For details, see Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-663

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 346-229

  • Department: means the department of human services. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 346-1
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
(b) Any employee of the department engaged in an investigation under this part, having probable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult will be injured through caregiver neglect, self-neglect, or by physical abuse before a court order for entry can be obtained, without a warrant, may enter upon the premises where the vulnerable adult may be found for the purpose of ascertaining that person’s welfare. Where a warrantless entry is authorized under this section, the employee of the department may request the assistance of a police officer to gain entrance.

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