STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2075

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2735

       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. 2735 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MINORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to enable minors, on their own behalves, to consent to entering into an emergency shelter or other homeless facility.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Youth Services Network and two private citizens. 

     Your Committee finds that runaway and homeless youth on the streets are at a high risk for assault and sexual victimization, have no safe or appropriate place to sleep, and lack adequate nutrition.  Your Committee further finds that there are times when consent cannot be obtained because a parent or guardian either cannot be reached or refuses consent.  Enabling youth to give consent on their own behalf for shelter when consent from a parent or guardian cannot be obtained will increase the safety and well-being of these youth.

     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 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. 2735, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2735, 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