STAND. COM. REP. NO. 378

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1101

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1101 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a task force to coordinate resources for homeless children, and to establish and appropriate funds to a special fund.

     The Department of Education, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Hawaii Family Forum, the Hawaii Youth Services Network, and two individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that children, particularly young children, are the most vulnerable during, and at times victimized by, homelessness.  While many children develop some resiliency to their situation and are able to overcome the ravages of homelessness, the deficits of homelessness often lead to poor health, exposure to violence, poor academic performance, and a lack of positive social interactions.  This measure will minimize the negative impact of homelessness on children by establishing a task force to coordinate resources to benefit children who are homeless.

     The Department of Education noted in its testimony that the homeless coordinator, as established in this measure, should participate in the membership of the Hawaii Statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness.  Furthermore, it was recommended by the Hawaii Youth Services Network, that at least one representative of an organization serving runaway and homeless youth serve on the task force.

     It is the Committee's intent to ensure that there is some accountability for the programs that the task force chooses to endorse.  Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the task force to include an accounting of the effectiveness of the endorsed programs, as well as any suggestions for preventing children from becoming homeless, in its reports to the legislature; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1101, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1101, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair