Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 45 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Office of Youth Services to obtain legislative approval before transferring any incarcerated juveniles from the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility to an out-of-state correctional facility.

Your Committee finds that it is vital that notice be given to the Legislature before any out-of-state transfer of youths under the jurisdiction of the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility takes place. This measure is the result of recent action taken by the Office of Youth Services which recently transferred incarcerated juveniles from the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility to an out-of-state youth correctional facility, without notice to their parents or legal guardians. Your Committee finds that it is vital that children remain close to their families in order to achieve the highest level of rehabilitation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by requiring notice be provided to the Legislature via the budgetary process.

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. 45, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 45, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.