STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1254

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 986

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to support foster care services in the State.

     More specifically, this measure:

(1)  Requires the Department of Human Services to increase the monthly board payment from $529 a month to an unspecified amount;

(2)  Appropriates an unspecified amount to the Department of Human Services for the purposes of funding the monthly board payment rate increase; and

(3)  Requires the Department of Human Services to submit a report to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2014 and 2015 regarding the status, cost, and effect of the increased board payments.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and five individuals.

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that that the current monthly board payment for foster care services was set in 1990 and is insufficient to cover the current, actual costs of providing care to foster children.  Accordingly, your Committee believes that it is in the interest of the State to increase the monthly board payment to ensure that foster boarding home parents, group homes, and child caring institutions have sufficient funding to provide housing, utilities, clothing, and other necessities.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2051, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     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 H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 986, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair