STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3199

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 106

       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.C.R. No. 106 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE OFFICE OF YOUTH SERVICES AND CHILD WELFARE SERVICES CONDUCT A STUDY INTO SAFE SHELTER OPTIONS FOR YOUTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Office of Youth Services and Child Welfare Services conduct a collaborative study into safe shelter options for youth.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Youth Services and three private citizens.

     Your Committee finds that current Hawaii law requires parents or guardians to provide consent before a minor may be admitted into an emergency shelter, and that children are entitled to emergency shelter benefits in the same way as adults and should not be denied services and forced to remain on the streets. 

     Your Committee has amended this measure and its title by incorporating comments made by the Office of Youth Services to:

     (1)  Replace "Child Welfare Services" with the "Department of Human Services"; and

     (2)  Add a working study group convened by the Office of Youth Services and the Department of Human Services to conduct the study into safe shelter options and submit a report to the 2009 Legislature.

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 106, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 106, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair