STAND. COM. REP. NO.  331-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 3136

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services & Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 3136 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to preserve the best interests of children in the child protective services system by requiring that local customs of friends and relatives caring for a child are taken into consideration when determining placement of the child.

     The Department of Human Services (DHS) and Catholic Charities Hawaii testified in support of this bill.  The Judiciary provided comments.

     Your Committee respectfully requests DHS to adopt rules before the convening of the Regular Session of 2009 that addresses the concerns raised by the Judiciary in their written testimony about caregiver benefits, monitoring the notification of the return of a child to parents who are deemed harmful, various consents, and caregiver services.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3136 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair