HONOLULU -- State lawmakers passed a bill this year to give courts the power to place a GPS monitoring systems on domestic violence abusers who violate their restraining orders.

In some cases, domestic violence abusers have tracked their victims to death even when there are court protective orders in place to supposedly protect the victim.

Supporters of the bill said Janel Tupuola's life might have been saved if her violent ex-boyfriend had been tracked with a global monitoring system. Her boyfriend is accused of bludgeoning Tupuola to death.

With GPS monitoring, repeat abuse offenders would be outfitted with ankle or wrist bracelets and tracked through satellite technology, like the GPS system in cars.

"This will give us one more tool that the community can use that will help alert a victim when her perpetrator is nearby," said Nanci Kreidman of the Domestic Violence Action Center.

If the offender enters a so-called exclusionary zone near the victims, his probation would be revoked and he can be fined or imprisoned. If they are able, offenders must pay for their GPS tracking.

"I think it is fair for perpetrators to pay the cost. If they hadn't perpetrated the crimes, they wouldn't be in this situation," Kreidman said.

Not all offenders will be able to pay.

The Legislature did not appropriate any money for the judiciary to run the GPS tracking program. The Judiciary is concerned, saying it would cost $1,000 a year to track each offender.

Critics said the courts lack the personnel for such a system.

"How are they going to monitor a 24-hour, seven-day a week GPS monitoring system," state public defender Jack Tonaki said.

There is also concern that GPS would give victims a false sense of security.

"They simply got to call 911. They can't rely on the fact that somebody else is going to do it for them with a GPS system or a TRO or an order for protection," Tonaki said.

The governor's office said she is supportive of the GPS bill.