STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1216-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2345

      S.D. 1

      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 Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2345, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ease the fear and stress children may experience when visiting a parent at correctional facilities by establishing guiding principles to be used by state agencies when dealing with children of incarcerated parents.

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, Community Alliance on Prisons, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Public Safety supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Human Services submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Replacing its contents with provisions that create the Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents (Bill of Rights);

(2)  Placing the Bill of Rights in Chapter 577, Hawaii Revised Statutes, entitled "Children";

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2345, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2345, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs,

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair