STAND. COM. REP. NO. 59

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 274
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred H.B. No. 274 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to protect children and youth
from abuse and neglect.

     The Hawaii Catholic Conference submitted testimony in
support of the intent of this measure, but opposed the provision
mandating clergy or priests to report instances of child abuse
and neglect.  The Honolulu Police Department submitted testimony
in support of the intent of this measure, but commented on the
provision regarding protective custody of a child without court
order.  The Judiciary took no position on the policy issues of
this bill, but commented on provisions relating to guardian ad
litems.  The Department of Human Services (DHS) and an individual
submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that this measure is a coordinated
response from the Child Protection Legislative Roundtable to
prevent child abuse and improve Hawaii's child protection system.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring DHS to establish a medical/health case
          management procedure instead of a system;


 
 
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     (2)  Mandating persons providing emergency foster home or
          relative foster home care to successfully complete
          foster parent training within one year of the child's
          initial placement instead of as a condition of
          placement;

     (3)  Removing members of the clergy or priests as persons
          who are mandated to report child abuse;

     (4)  Requiring mandated reporters to orally report child
          abuse to both DHS and the police department;

     (5)  Authorizing instead of requiring the conditions of
          which a police officer may assume protective custody of
          a child without a court order;

     (6)  Requiring the Department of Commerce and Consumer
          Affairs instead of the Judiciary to:

          (A)  Set the standards of licensing and competence; and

          (B)  Adopt rules relating to standards of training and
               practice;

          for guardian ad litems; and

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 274, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 274, H.D.
1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian
Affairs.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Human Services
                                   and Housing,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair