STAND. COM. REP. NO. 193-04
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2004
RE: H.B. No. 2458
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. 2458 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to improve Hawaii's child welfare system. Among other things, this bill:
(1) Allows the Department of Human Services (DHS) to require that a parent, legal custodian, guardian, or caregiver, in cases where this action is appropriate, to participate in diversion or other supportive services;
(2) Ensures that DHS is not required to remove a child from a safe home if the child has resided in the home with the verbal or written consent of the legal and physical custodian, provided that the written consent is not pursuant to a voluntary placement agreement with DHS or a court order; and
(3) Clarifies that other appropriate agencies may file a petition in court for jurisdiction of a child;
DHS and Blueprint for Change testified in support of this bill. The Judiciary submitted comments.
Your Committee finds that Hawaii has a longstanding cultural and local tradition of friends and relatives caring for children outside of the family home and that this measure will allow for these avenues of care to be used so that a child is not unnecessarily taken into State custody and that the relationships that are important to the child's well-being are preserved.
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. 2458 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Housing,
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____________________________ MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair |
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