Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1236 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a data and research office for children and families in the Center on the Family at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The bill also authorizes the data and research office to establish indicators and data sets relevant to children and families and appropriates funds to establish the office.

The Center on the Family is a unit of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, that is charged with researching issues relating to the health and well-being of families and the dynamics of successful family life. As part of that responsibility, the Center gathers, compiles, and analyzes data voluntarily provided by public and private sources to reflect the status of children and the family in Hawaii. The Center on the Family has applied their research to programs to improve the quality of life for Hawaii's people.

Your Committee finds that this bill will formalize the Center on the Family's gathering of data by mandating the cooperation of state and county agencies, and centralizing the collection of relevant data. This information is a valuable tool that can be used by policy makers and agencies that serve children and families. The data will help determine areas of need and enable accountability. Your Committee believes that an appropriation to fund the establishment of the data and research office for children and families in the Center on the Family at University of Hawaii is an investment in the well-being of Hawaii's children and families.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1236 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.