Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2607 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to restrict the Hawaii courts from adjudicating adoption proceedings involving Marshallese children without the prior approval of the appropriate court in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services and Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies.

Your Committee finds that many Marshallese women in the late stages of their pregnancy are being brought to Hawaii by private adoption agencies. Health providers have expressed concerns that these women did not appear to have prenatal care prior to their arrival. Often, these women have significant medical conditions that were not being treated. The providers are further concerned about whether these women are making uninformed or coerced decisions about the adoption.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands has recently passed a law that prohibits adoption solicitation and has established a Central Adoption Authority. This measure will assist in deterring improper private and independent adoptions.

Due to the Department of Human Services' statutory duties, your Committee has amended this bill excluding children under the Child Protective Act.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2607, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2607, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.