STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2969

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 524

       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 Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 524, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish that notice of permanent plan hearings shall be provided at least forty-eight hours prior to the hearing to a child in the custody of the Department of Human Services who is subject to a permanent plan and is at least fourteen years of age.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services and the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i. 

     Your Committee finds that this measure seeks to protect the interests of foster children in child welfare proceedings, would engender better understanding of the overwhelming system into which foster children have been brought, and would promote more consistent court practices across the state circuits. 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date 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 H.B. No. 524, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 524, H.D. 2, 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