STAND. COM. REP. NO. 13

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 186

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 186 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOSTER CARE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to increase the monthly board rate for foster care services. 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from six individuals.  The Department of Human Services submitted testimony opposing the measure.

     Your Committee finds that the monthly board rate for foster care services has not been raised since 1990, and that the failure to increase the rate has made it difficult for foster families to provide food, housing, utilities, clothing, and other necessary items to their foster children. 

     Your Committee further finds that increasing the monthly board rates provided to foster care and adoptive parents by one hundred dollars per month would cost the State an additional $9,600,000 per fiscal year.  In recognition of the State's current financial condition, your Committee finds that this measure should be used as a vehicle to utilize a portion of the moneys included in the proposed federal economic stimulus package, if any, for the purposes of the measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 186 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair