STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3029

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2051

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2051, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION FOR FOSTER CHILDREN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish rules for the provision of transportation services and school placement decisions for foster children.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, and eight individuals, including four current or former foster children.  Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was received from the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committees find that children placed in foster care often experience not only psychological and emotional trauma, but also additional problems due to their displacement from families, friends, and schools.  Your Committees further find that, to the extent that greater stability can be provided in the lives of foster children, they will reap greater benefits in their homes and in their schools.  This measure provides that, whenever possible, a foster child continue enrollment in the foster child's current school, even when the foster child is moved into a different foster placement; provided that such decision is based upon what is in the foster child's best interest.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2008; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and to reflect preferred drafting style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Human Services and Public Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2051, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2051, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair