STAND. COM. REP. NO. 945

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1163

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1163, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOSTER CHILDREN'S TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require a permanent plan for all foster youth fourteen and older.

     The Department of Human Services offered comments on this measure.

     Specifically, this measure requires the permanent plan to include an appropriate independent living program that provides foster youth with opportunities to learn basic life skills that will be needed when they become adults.  This measure also appropriates unspecified amounts for the Department of Human Services for the independent living program.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will provide foster youth the appropriate opportunities to learn basic life skills including money management and accessing information from various institutions in the community.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1163, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1163, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair