STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 973-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 2162

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2162, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to assist foster children by:

(1) Requiring a foster child's natural parents to pay for the child's car insurance and establishing provisions for payment if the child's parents are unable to pay;

(2) Enabling the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide written consent for foster children to apply for a driver's license; and

(3) Allowing higher education board allowances to be paid directly to foster children.

The Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawaii Foster Youth Coalition, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. DHS and Hawaii Insurers Council offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Requiring DHS to provide written consent to allow foster children to apply for a driver's license;

(2) Allowing the Director of Human Services to assign a designee to sign and verify the application for a driver's license;

(3) Indemnifying DHS from liability in the event the foster child is involved in an accident or lawsuit resulting from driving; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 2162, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2162, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

		____________________________ ALEX M. SONSON, Chair