STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1633

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 77
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred
S.C.R. No. 77 entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CHILD
     PROTECTIVE SERVICES ROUNDTABLE TO FORM A TASK FORCE TO
     EXAMINE AND DISCUSS SELECTED ISSUES RELATING TO CHILD
     ABUSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this Concurrent Resolution is to request the
Child Protective Services Roundtable to form a task force to
examine and discuss selected issues relating to child abuse.

     Specifically, the Concurrent Resolution asks the Roundtable
to convene a task force of its members or convene itself as a
task force to examine such issues as expanding the criteria for
reporting child abuse cases; amending the procedures relating to
out-of-family abuse; evaluating the manner in which guardian ad
litem services are provided; changing the licensing and training
requirements for specially licensed relative foster boarding
homes; examining incidents of child exploitation and their
relationship to child abuse and neglect; and evaluating other
circumstances that endanger the welfare of a child in cases of
criminal child abuse.

     Your Committee finds that the Child Protective Services
Roundtable, which is an ad hoc group of service providers and

 
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medical specialists in child protection, has been instrumental in
improving the child protective services system, including the
enactment of its recommendations in Act 134, Session Laws of
Hawaii 1998.  The Roundtable is continuing to meet and discuss
issues relating to child protection, which benefits all
participants in their work among themselves on a daily basis in
detecting, preventing, and treating child abuse.  Your Committee
further finds that although improvements in the child protective
services system are continually being made, legislation may be
required to address a number of unresolved issues.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 77,
and recommends its adoption.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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