Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 932, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to recognize the value and influence both parents have on the life of a child by eliminating any preferences for one parent over another in government contracts, programs, services, and workforce policies.

The Senator from the 20th District, Parents and Children Together, Parents Without Partners, the Hawaii Coalition for Dads, a clinical psychologist, and two concerned citizens testified in support of this measure. The Department of Human Services testified in support of the intent of the measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by ensuring that preferences are acceptable if they are in the best interests of a child, as reflected in the purpose section of the bill as received.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 932, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 932, S.D. 2, H.D. 3.