STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1107-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2055

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 2055, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to further protect children involved in Family Court proceedings by:

     (1)  Requiring the Board of Family Court Judges to establish policies and procedures for child custody evaluators and administer certification procedures; and

     (2)  Establishing licensing requirements and minimal education and experience requirements, and requiring continuing training for child custody evaluators.

     The National Association of Social Workers – Hawaii Chapter, Oahu VOICES, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Judiciary, Domestic Violence Action Center, and Hawaii State Coalition for Domestic Violence provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Replacing the Board of Family Court Judges with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs as the administering and oversight entity;

     (2)  Removing the exclusion of social workers employed by the Judiciary as child custody evaluators;

     (3)  Allowing qualified attorneys to be child custody evaluators;

     (4)  Exempting social workers employed by the Judiciary from the child custody evaluator licensing requirements; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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 S.B. No. 2055, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2055, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, 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