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.C.R. No. 52 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the House and Senate Committees on Human Services to conduct a joint study of the Department of Human Services' reunification and kinship placement policies and procedure.

Your Committee received testimony in support from the National Association of Social Workers, and one individual, and testimony in opposition to the measure from the Department of Human Services and the Hawaii Foster Youth Coalition.

Upon consideration of the issues, your Committee has decided to amend this measure to request the House and Senate Committees on Human Services to convene interim hearings on the use of legal interventions available to the Family Court.

Your Committee finds that this measure will enable the relevant stakeholders to participate in an assessment of the Family Court's caseload, use of legal interventions, the selection, use, and accountability of court-appointed personnel, and an evaluation of the definitions of the best interests of the child and other issues that may have an impact on the timely and fair resolution of cases.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 52, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 52, S.D. 1.