STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2695

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2061

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2061, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require special family court procedures for child custody disputes involving servicemembers who are deployed.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from one federal entity, two private organizations, one business association, and two individuals.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that the issues surrounding a military deployment or temporary duty, which separates a parent from his or her children, have a significant effect on the military readiness of the parent and on the well-being of the child.  Hawaii currently has no laws regarding military deployment and custody, yet both custodial and non-custodial parent face difficulties when they deploy even to the extent of losing total contact with their children.

     Your Committees further find that the best interests of the child should be of paramount concern in all proceedings affecting deployed military personnel and their children.  Your Committees further believe that the fact of deployment should not in itself abrogate parental rights.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by replacing its contents with provisions recommended by the Family Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association.  Your Committees have not changed the delayed effective date in order to continue the discussions on this matter.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2061, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2061, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Human Services,

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair