STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2722

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2590

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2590, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a preference for allowing a child who has been or is at risk of being abused to remain in the family home and requiring the perpetrator of the abuse to leave the home.

More specifically, this measure establishes that where the child is placed in the foster care system, in the determination whether to continue the out-of-home placement, the burden is on the child's family to establish that it is in the best interest of the child to be removed from the home, rather than the alleged perpetrator.

     Your Committee finds that this measure provides a viable alternative to current law to ensure continuity and consistency for a child who might otherwise need out-of-home placement.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, style, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2590, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2590, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair