STAND. COM. REP. NO.746-02
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2002
RE: S.B. No. 2041
S.D. 1
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2002
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2041, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to further strengthen child protection laws by establishing the presumption that a child who has been subject to prior abuse and is missing has suffered serious abuse.
Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii (VLSH) testified in support of this measure. The Department of Human Services (DHS) and Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition supported the intent of this measure.
Your Committee finds that child abuse is a serious problem in Hawaii and the nation. A review panel plays a key role in cases of serious abuse. By expanding the definition of serious abuse to include missing children who have been previously abused, the review panel would also review those cases.
Your Committee has amended this bill by:
(1) Requiring DHS to include in its annual report, information on cases of serious abuse;
(2) Protecting the identity of children who may have suffered serious abuse by prohibiting the disclosure of their names and any confidential information pertaining to them; and
(3) 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 S.B. No. 2041, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2041, S.D. 1, 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,
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____________________________ MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Chair |
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