STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2024

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.R. No. 218
                                     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.R. No. 218 entitled:

     "HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO CONVENE A
     FATHERHOOD TASK FORCE TO PROMOTE STRONG FAMILIES THROUGH
     POSITIVE FATHERING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Governor, in
collaboration with affected state agencies, the counties, the
business sector, and communities of faith, to convene a
Fatherhood Task Force to promote strong families through positive
fathering initiatives.

     In addition, this measure requests the Fatherhood Task Force
to:

     (1)  Examine public and private employment practices and
          initiate and support those practices that enhance the
          importance of fatherhood and father-friendly policies;

     (2)  Promote the importance of father-friendly policies and
          stress the importance of fathers in actions and
          programs by public and private agencies that receive
          funding from the State;


 
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     (3)  Support the Hawaii Coalition for Dads, a collaboration
          of private and public agencies committed to exploring
          the needs of fathers and creating initiative supporting
          fatherhood;

     (4)  Declare June Fathers Month with June 26, 1999 as the
          date of the first annual Father's Celebration;

     (5)  Evaluate whether the State's education system promotes
          the qualities and importance of positive fatherhood and
          propose changes to achieve this goal;

     (6)  Recommend and encourage other programs and activities
          by public agencies, community organizations, and
          communities of faith to promote positive fatherhood,
          including developing resources for children who are
          being raised without a positive father figure; and

     (7)  Submit its findings and recommendations, including any
          proposed legislation, to the Legislature before the
          convening of the Regular Session of 2000.

     Your Committee finds that researchers have posited that the
decline of fatherhood is a major force behind many of the most
disturbing problems that plague American society:  crime and
delinquency; teen-age pregnancy; deteriorating educational
achievement; depression, substance abuse, and alienation among
adolescents; and the growing number of women and children living
in poverty.  Your Committee also finds that family policy and
family service programs have long ignored or marginalized fathers
and the important role they play within the family structure, and
that policy and programming must be changed to focus on fathers
as an essential component of strengthening and supporting
families if these problems are to be successfully addressed.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requesting the Governor to support the convening of a
          Fatherhood Task Force by the Hawaii Coalition for Dads
          to promote strong families through positive fathering
          initiatives;

     (2)  Expressing the Legislature's support for and
          appreciation of the efforts of the Hawaii Coalition of
          Dads to carry out the activities described in
          paragraphs (1), (2), (4), (5), and (6) above; and


 
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     (3)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of
          clarity, consistency, 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of
H.R. No. 218, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in
the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 218, H.D. 1.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair

 
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