STAND. COM. REP. NO. 656________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1437
                                     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. 1437 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to implement two of the
recommendations that were made by the Legislative Auditor in
Report No. 99-5, "Audit of the Child Protective Services System,"
by requiring:

     (1)  The Department of Human Services (DHS) to notify police
          or the Prosecutor's Office of all reports received by
          DHS with regard to child abuse; and

     (2)  The Court to hold a permanency plan hearing within
          twelve months of a child's placement in foster care.

     The Legislative Auditor submitted testimony in support of
this measure.  The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the
City and County of Honolulu submitted testimony in support of the
intent of this measure.  DHS and the Office of Information
Practices submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that, as written, the provisions on
reporting and the need to release all reported cases of abuse to
the Prosecutor's Office is unnecessary.  To assure that all child
abuse or neglect cases are attended to by the police departments,
your Committee has amended this measure by requiring mandatory

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 656________
                                 Page 2

 
reporters to report child abuse to both DHS and the police
departments.  Your Committee has also amended this measure by
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. 1437, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1437, 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