STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1468

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 1779

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1779, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure the safety and well-being of Hawaii's children by:

     (1)  Establishing a two-year statewide task force to review, assess, and make recommendations on the State's system responses to cases of sexual crimes committed against and by children; and

     (2)  Allowing the Family Court to pursue the option of legal guardianship for a child in appropriate cases.

     The Attorney General, Catholic Charities Hawaii, FRIENDS of the Children's Justice Center of West Hawaii, and Sex Abuse Treatment Center testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Human Services supported this bill in part.  The Department of Education and Children's Justice Center supported the intent of this measure.  The Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Maui provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1779, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1779, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair