CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 93

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2013

RE:    S.B. No. 1340

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure it to establish the young adult voluntary foster care program to care for and supervise eligible foster youth until the age of twenty-one.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that foster youth who age out of the foster care system at age eighteen often do not have the financial, emotional, or housing support from their biological family.  Without family support or the resources to provide for the basic necessities in life, many of these former foster youths may not have the financial means to attend school.  There is a need to support these former foster youths to ensure their success and transition into society.  Providing foster care support to these former foster youths while attending school would enable them to focus on academic success and career development instead of worrying about housing, food, and other basic needs.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting language to allow young adults to waive their right to be present at court hearings and reviews;

     (2)  Deleting language that would have appropriated funds to child protective services;

     (3)  Deleting language that would have appropriated funds for child protective services payments; and

     (4)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2014.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1340, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Co-Chair	____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair
____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair	____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Co-Chair
____________________________ BERTRAND KOBAYASHI, Co-Chair	____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Co-Chair