SR122.DOC

WHEREAS, Senate Resolution No. 40 was adopted during the 2004 Regular Session, authorizing the Senate Committee on Human Services to convene interim hearings on the Hawaii Family Court; and

WHEREAS, the interim hearings were designed to explore ways to make the Hawaii Family Court more accessible and family-oriented and focused on important issues relating to reduction in caseload; and

WHEREAS, some of the recommendations were adopted and received legislative attention, but there were still other issues that remained unresolved; and

WHEREAS, to continue work on the unresolved issues, during the 2006 Regular Session the Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 52, S.D. 1 authorized the Committee on Human Services to convene interim hearings on the use of legal interventions available to the Family Court and to establish one or more task forces to facilitate their work; and

WHEREAS, a task force was established for that purpose; and

WHEREAS, there are other issues that the task force identified as needing further analysis; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, that the Legislature convene a joint legislative working group to further study the outstanding recommendations of the four committees that were formed relating to Family Court Models, Family Court Sunshine and Accountability, Temporary Restraining Orders, and the Best Interests of the Child, and any other related issues; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, upon the adoption of this measure, the working group is to be referred to as the Joint Legislative Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group and will dissolve on January 1, 2011; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Legislative Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group include one representative of the Department of Human Services; the Department of Health; the Hawaii Association of Marriage and Family Therapists; the Family Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association; the National Association of Social Workers, Hawaii Chapter; the Children's Rights Council of Hawaii; the Hawaii Coalition for Dads; the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii; Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii; the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline; the Mediation Center of the Pacific; EPIC Ohana Conferencing; the Hawaii Psychological Association; the Family Justice Alliance; VOICES; the Commission on the Status of Women; and persons representing the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai as determined by the Joint Legislative Family Court Interventions Working Group; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii Social Services Public Policy Center assist the Joint Legislative Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group with the facilitation of the group's efforts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Legislative Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group submit an interim report, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011, and submit a final report, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Human Services, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations, the Director of Human Services, the Director of Health, President of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, President of the Hawaii State Bar Association, Executive Director of the Hawaii Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, President of the Children's Rights Council of Hawaii, Program Coordinator of the Hawaii Coalition for Dads, Executive Director of the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Executive Director of Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, Executive Director of the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Executive Director of the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, Executive Director of the Mediation Center of the Pacific, Director of EPIC Ohana Conferencing, Executive Director of the Hawaii Psychological Association, President of the Family Justice Alliance, VOICES, Executive Director of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Dean of University of Hawaii Social Sciences Public Policy Center, and the Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Requesting a Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	122
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII