REPORT TITLE:
Parent/Child; Leave


DESCRIPTION:
Directs the executive branch and the judiciary to examine
personnel policies and adopt personnel policies and procedures
that allow state employees who are parents to foster better
parent-child relationships.  Establishes a two-year parent leave
pilot project to be conducted by the executive branch and the
judiciary for fiscal years 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 to enable
state employees who are parents of children with special needs to
take time off to nurture the parent-child relationship.  Requires
report to the legislature.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            811         
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS.
 


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that healthy parent-child
 
 2 relationships are critical to the social adjustment and well-
 
 3 being of children and adolescents with special needs.  These
 
 4 relationships have suffered as more and more parents of children
 
 5 with special needs must work, often at more than one job, to make
 
 6 ends meet the ever-rising cost of living in Hawaii.  This has had
 
 7 a tremendous impact on the entire fabric of society.
 
 8 Intervention is needed much earlier in life to effect any real
 
 9 change in attitudes or behavior.  
 
10      The legislature finds that parents of children with special
 
11 needs, with sufficient time and support, are in the best position
 
12 to nurture and socialize their children in a loving and secure
 
13 environment.  The legislature further finds that it is in the
 
14 interest of the public's health, safety, and welfare to adopt
 
15 personnel policies that encourage parental involvement in child
 
16 rearing of children with special needs.  Accordingly, the purpose
 
17 of this Act is to allow state employees who are parents of
 
18 children with special needs the ability to take time to nurture
 
19 the parent-child relationship.
 

 
Page 2                                         811         
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        


 1      SECTION 2.  The director of human resources development, for
 
 2 the executive branch, and the chief justice, for the judiciary,
 
 3 shall examine all personnel policies and actions in light of
 
 4 their effect on the ability of state employees who are parents of
 
 5 children with special needs to engage in a more active role in
 
 6 child rearing responsibilities and activities.  To the extent
 
 7 practicable and feasible, the director and the chief justice
 
 8 shall adopt personnel policies and procedures that allow state
 
 9 employees who are parents of children with special needs to
 
10 foster better parent-child relationships.  These policies may
 
11 include use of flex time or parental leave time to allow parents
 
12 to take a more active role in their children's education by
 
13 attending conferences, meetings, or activities at school;
 
14 providing state-sponsored child care for children with special
 
15 needs located near state offices; allowing flexible work
 
16 schedules, whether on an on-going or as needed basis, to allow
 
17 parents of children with special needs to provide care for their
 
18 children.
 
19      SECTION 3.  There is established a two-year parent leave
 
20 pilot project to be conducted by the executive branch and the
 
21 judiciary for fiscal years 1999-2000 through 2000-2001 to enable
 
22 state employees who are parents of children with special needs to
 
23 take time off with pay to nurture the parent-child relationship.
 
24 The judiciary and the department of human resources development
 

 
Page 3                                         811         
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        


 1 for the executive branch shall develop and establish plans,
 
 2 procedures, and guidelines necessary to implement the parent
 
 3 leave pilot project, including maximum hours of leave permitted
 
 4 during any one pay period, total leave hours permitted during any
 
 5 fiscal year, any requirements for leave, and procedures for
 
 6 notifying employees of the availability of parent leave.  Each
 
 7 department in the executive branch and the judiciary shall
 
 8 initiate the project within one month of establishing the final
 
 9 guidelines or, to the extent practicable, by September 1, 1999,
 
10 to allow sufficient time for participation and evaluation.
 
11      SECTION 4.  The director of human resources development and
 
12 the chief justice shall require agencies to report information on
 
13 implementation of policies to encourage employees' parental
 
14 involvement in child rearing activities for children with special
 
15 needs.  The director and the chief justice shall prepare
 
16 reporting forms to be used for this purpose.  The director and
 
17 the chief justice shall submit reports to the legislature, no
 
18 later than twenty days prior to the regular session of 2002,
 
19 evaluating the progress and experience of the executive branch
 
20 and the judiciary in implementing the policies described in this
 
21 Act and shall include recommendations for any proposed
 
22 legislation needed to implement more fully or to improve these
 

 
 
 
Page 4                                         811         
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        


 1 policies.
 
 2      SECTION 5.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 3 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so
 
 4 much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000, and
 
 5 the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal
 
 6 year 2000-2001, for the purposes of this Act.  The sums
 
 7 appropriated shall be expended by the department of human
 
 8 resources development for the purposes of this Act.
 
 9      SECTION 6.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
10 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so
 
11 much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000, and
 
12 the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal
 
13 year 2000-2001, for the purposes of this Act.  The sums
 
14 appropriated shall be expended by the judiciary for the purposes
 
15 of this Act.
 
16      SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval;
 
17 provided that sections 5 and 6 shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
18 
 
19                           INTRODUCED BY:_________________________