STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3238

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 133

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 133 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE AND ESTABLISH A PILOT PROJECT TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN CHILDREN IN CHILD CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Department of Human Services convene a task force and establish a pilot project to determine the feasibility of implementing portions of Native Hawaiian Child Welfare Act, which establishes certain custody proceedings for Native Hawaiian children.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs testified orally that it is currently reviewing its position on this measure.

     Your Committees find that approximately fifty per cent of Department of Human Services' child welfare cases involve Native Hawaiian families.  Your Committees further find that ensuring that the particular needs of these children are being met while navigating the child welfare system raises complex and sensitive issues, warranting the establishment of a task force with the expertise to address the relevant issues collaboratively and effectively. 

     Your Committees have amended this measure and its title by:

     (1)  Incorporating the comments made by the Department of Human Services to:

          (A)  Require Na Kupuna O Waianae to convene the task force rather than the Department of Human Services;

          (B)  Require the Department of Human Services to serve as a member of the task force;

          (C)  Require the task force to examine the feasibility of conducting the pilot project, rather than requiring the Department of Human Services to establish the pilot project; and

          (D)  Extend the task force term from one year to two years, with an interim report due twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009, and a final report due twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 133, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 133, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair