STAND. COM. REP. NO.  661-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2350

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2350 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to bring the State into compliance with the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014 (Act) by:

     (1)  Updating certain statutory references for "foster boarding home" to "resource family home" and "foster parents" to "resource caregivers" to better comply with the Act;

     (2)  Establishing immunity, subject to certain conditions, for resource caregivers and child caring institutions;

     (3)  Adding the requirement that resource caregivers and child care institutions use the reasonable and prudent parent standard when authorizing children in foster care to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities; and

     (4)  Changing the minimum age at which children in foster care are to be involved in their foster care plans from sixteen years to fourteen years.

The Department of Human Services; It Takes Ohana Advisory Committee of the Family Program Hawaii; Epic Ohana, Inc.; HI H.O.P.E.S. Youth Leadership Boards of Oahu, Kona, Maui, and Kauai; and numerous concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Judiciary provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  In sections 587A-31(c) and 587A-32(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, deleting the term "successful adulthood" and reverting back to "independent living", as "independent living" is a term of art that is used consistently by federal and state entities; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 2350, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2350, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair