STAND. COM. REP. NO.  131-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1576

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1576 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the insufficiency of the current monthly payment for foster care services for children by increasing the monthly board rate and appropriating funds for this purpose.

The Department of Human Services, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Family Programs Hawai‘i, Witt Counseling Service, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

     Your Committee would like to acknowledge that the Department of Human Services has completed a review of current payment rates for foster care services and has provided a copy of a 2013 report on their findings and recommendations.  Your Committee respectfully requests that these figures be considered should your Committee on Finance choose to consider this 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 H.B. No. 1576, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1576, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair