Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3233 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the family court or the parties to change a parenting plan at any time during the minority of a child without a required showing of a material change in circumstances.

Your Committee finds that parents may agree to alter their parenting plan informally without family court intervention. This measure would allow parents to agree to amend a parenting plan without being required to demonstrate to the court that there has been a material change in circumstances.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from one individual and received testimony in opposition to the measure from the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Your Committee received comments on the measure from the Judiciary and the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline.

Your Committee has amended this measure by adding a provision stating that the parties may agree to any changes to a parenting plan that are consistent with or allowed by the provisions of an existing custody order without court approval, but that the court must approve any other changes to a parenting plan, and requiring the parents to file the revised parenting plan with the court.

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. 3233, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3233, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.