Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2526, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Judiciary, in addition to state and county executive agencies, to eliminate parental preferences in contracts, programs, and services and to require annual reports to the Legislature on the effect of the implementation of the parental preference law.

Your Committee finds that teenage pregnancy, unemployment, substance abuse, mental illness, learning disabilities, and crime increase the costs of public assistance, health services, and other social services, and the criminal justice system. Concomitantly, your Committee finds that programs that reduce these costs are in the public interest and welfare.

Your Committee notes that research has shown that the financial and emotional support of both parents is critical to a child's social and emotional well-being. Furthermore, there is nearly universal agreement that fathers playing an active role in their children's lives results in positive outcomes. For example, children who experience healthy connections with their fathers have a reduced risk of early parenting, high school drop out, substance abuse, behavioral and emotional problems, and juvenile delinquency. Accordingly, your Committee finds that supporting and encouraging the involvement of both parents in child-rearing decisions and activities is in the public interest.

With that aim in mind, the Legislature enacted Act 301, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, which was codified as section 577-7.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to eliminating parental preferences in government contracts, programs, and services. Your Committee acknowledges that section 577-7.5 is necessarily based on a somewhat subjective interpretation of the impact of a government contract, program, or service on child-rearing. However, your Committee emphasizes that the goal is to ensure inclusion of both parents in all government contracts, programs, and services designed to assist in the raising of children and to identify and eliminate provisions that unfairly preclude a parent from participating in child-rearing decisions and activities. Your Committee believes that the reporting requirement contained in this measure will further the effort to attain that goal.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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. 2526, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2526, S.D. 2.