STAND. COM. REP. NO. 375

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 499

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 499 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ZERO TO THREE COURT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for staff positions and various services to support the Hawaii Zero to Three Court.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary; Department of Human Services; Community Children's Council of Hawaii; Hawaii's Early Childhood Action Strategy; Family Programs Hawaii; Hawaii Family Support Institute, Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; Parents And Children Together; Rainbow Family 808; ZERO TO THREE; Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; Hawaii Children's Action Network; and four individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Zero to Three Court team works to increase awareness among those who work with maltreated infants and toddlers about the negative effects of abuse and neglect upon young children and strives to change local systems to improve outcomes and court involvement in the lives of very young children.  Specifically, this court program trains professionals, secures effective service resources, encourages collaboration among existing community service providers, and increases parent-child contact.  Key features of this specialized court include monthly case conferences for each family, monthly court hearings, and a court team composed of a lead family court judge, designated guardian ad litem, parents' counsel, deputy attorneys general, and social workers from the Department of Human Services.

     In November 2012, the Hawaii Zero to Three Court lost its national funding, but the Judiciary continued to provide services to infants and families, and the program was transferred for administrative purposes to the Drug Court of the Family Court of the First Circuit.  The family drug court has since received funding via a grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  However, this grant is scheduled to expire in July 2017.  This measure provides funding that is critically needed to ensure continued and enhanced services and resources and to further develop the capacity of the Hawaii Zero to Three Court team.

     Your Committee notes that this measure requests funding for a program manager position and case manager position that is not included in the Judiciary's budget request under S.B. No. 469, Regular Session of 2017, as amended.  Your Committee believes that the inclusion of these position funding requests in the Judiciary's budget merits further discussion by your Committee on Ways and Means.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 499 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair