STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2147

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2055

       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 S.B. No. 2055 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish procedures and requirements for child custody evaluator training and certification.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Domestic Violence Action Center, the National Association of Social Workers, Hawaii Chapter, VOICES, and three individuals.  Comments on the measure were submitted by the Judiciary, the Board of Medical Examiners, and the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

     Your Committee finds that there is a need for improved requirements and procedures to train professionals to make custody evaluations and recommendations to the Family Court to ensure that they are as consistent and successful as possible.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Modifying the section referring to "board and family court responsibilities" by requiring the Board of Family Court Judges (Board) to "review" and "adapt" statewide policies and procedures based upon the policies and procedures in use in each of the circuits;

     (2)  Delaying the implementation of the provisions of the measure by the Family Court until after January 1, 2010;

     (3)  Requiring the Board and the Family Court to assess the resources required to implement and maintain the provisions of the measure and to make findings and recommendations;

     (4)  Changing "psychiatrist" to "physician specializing in psychiatry" under the list of professions for whom a license would be required to be a child custody evaluator;

     (5)  Adding that a child custody evaluator may be subject to disciplinary action by the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs as well as the Board;

     (6)  Adding two legislative reporting requirements for the Judiciary; and

     (7)  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 Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2055, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2055, 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