STAND. COM. REP. NO. 375

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1162

       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. 1162 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide notice of permanent plan hearings to a child who has reached the age of fourteen.

     The Department of Human Services, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, the Hawaii Foster Youth Coalition, and three individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will improve the quality of services provided to foster youth.  As noted by the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, the presence of foster youth at permanent plan review hearings will give the foster youth a direct voice in the proceedings affecting them, and also provide a greater level of accountability to the court for social workers and guardians ad litem that are assisting the foster youth.

     It is the Committee's intent to support foster youth having notice of and greater involvement in the court decisions that affect their futures.  Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to arrange for transportation of the child to court instead of requiring that the Department of Human Services provide transportation to court for the child; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style, including changing the effective date from July 1, 2007, to upon approval.

     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. 1162, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1162, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair