STAND. COM. REP. NO. 17

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 640

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 640 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NATURAL DISASTERS TRAINING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure that social workers are properly trained to deal with the long-term needs of major natural disaster victims.

     Specifically, the measure appropriates funds for the continuation of the University of Hawaii School of Social Work's long-term case management training program to benefit victims of major natural disasters, including expansion of the program to the entire State, focusing on utilizing the University of Hawaii's campuses on the neighbor islands of Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii as training sites.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the State of Hawaii Department of Defense, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the American Red Cross Hawaii State Chapter, and two private individuals.

     Your Committees find that as a result of the number of major natural disasters that have occurred globally in the past year and the difficulties that arose in providing a swift, appropriate, and effective response to the victims of those events, the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency began to identify gaps in its response system.  Among other things, the agency noted that recovery from major natural disasters takes much longer than anyone had ever anticipated.

     Your Committees further find that there is virtually no established system in the State of Hawaii that provides long-term case management services to victims that identifies the ongoing needs of the affected communities, and that develops, coordinates, and distributes resources to meet those needs.

     Your Committees also find that this measure provides funding for a much needed long-term case management training program to local caseworkers through the University of Hawaii's School of Social Work in order to address the on-going needs of victims of major natural disasters throughout the State of Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 640 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Education,

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair

____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair