STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1966

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 10

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.R. No. 10 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, SURVEYORS AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF FAMILY CAREGIVING NEEDS IN THE DESIGN OF NEW RESIDENCES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to promote awareness of family caregiving needs in the design of new residences.

     Your Committee finds that an issue of great importance facing families in Hawaii is the Family Court system.  Your Committee further finds that in 2006, the SCR 52 Task Force was established to look at the legal interventions available to the Family Court.  Your Committee further finds that there are still issues and recommendations of the SCR 52 Task Force that need to be further examined.  Therefore, your Committee finds that this measure should be amended to continue to study the Family Court system and its available remedies.

     Testimony in support of this amended measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women and four individuals.  VOICES submitted comments on the amended measure. 

     This measure was amended to delete the title and contents of Senate Resolution No. 10 and replace it with the contents of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 16, which:

     (1)  Requests the Senate Committee on Human Services and Public Housing to convene a working group to be referred to as the Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group, to further study the outstanding recommendations that came out of the SCR 52 Task Force, including those relating to:

          (A)  Family Court Models;

          (B)  Family Court Sunshine and Accountability;

          (C)  Temporary Restraining Orders; and

          (D)  The Best Interests of the Child;

     (2)  Sunsets the existence of the Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group (Working Group) on January 1, 2009;

     (3)  Designates the specific organizations to be included in the Working Group; and

     (4)  Request the Working Group to submit an interim report to the Legislature prior to the convening of the 2008 Regular Session.

This measure was further amended to:

     (1)  Request the assistance of the University of Hawaii Social Sciences Public Policy Center with the facilitation of the Working Group's efforts;

     (2)  Request the Working Group to include participation from neighbor islands representatives in the discussions; and

     (3)  Include representatives of VOICES and the Commission on the Status of Women in the Working Group.

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 10 and recommends its adoption.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair