STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 35-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 1795

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1795 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOSTER CUSTODY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to increase the possibility for a child to be placed with a relative by requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS) to make a good faith effort to locate relatives of a child about to be placed in foster care.

Several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. DHS and the Hawaii Foster Parent Association supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee finds that there have been situations where children have been placed in foster families with no family connection even though relatives were available and willing to care for the child. Some relatives claim that they were never given the opportunity, and others say they were not notified that the child was being placed in foster care.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Clarifying that documentation of a child's placement with a nonrelative should be provided as part of DHS's Safe Family Home Report instead of the child's service plan;

(2) Clarifying that, if corrective actions must be taken by relatives for them to be considered viable placement options, these actions must be within the limits of other state and federal requirements; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for 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 H.B. No. 1795, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1795,

H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Housing,

		____________________________ MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair