Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1864, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide visitation rights to siblings of minor children in a custody dispute.

Your Committee received testimony favoring this measure from the Family Court of the First Circuit, Attorney General, Department of Human Services, Hawaii Foster Youth Coalition, Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition, and Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that siblings should be considered to be persons interested in the welfare of the child for the purposes of section 571-46, Hawaii Revised Statutes. According to expert opinion, siblings who are able to maintain continuing relationships with one another after they are removed from their parents' custody are better able to adjust to life circumstances.

Your Committee has made nonsubstantive, technical amendments to this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1864, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1864, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.