STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3126

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1650

H.D. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1650, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the disclosure of the disposition of an alleged child abuse or neglect investigation in a licensed group child care home or group child care center to:

(1) Any parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the same group child care home or group child care center in which the alleged abuse or neglect took place; or

(2) Any parent or guardian who has submitted an application to the group child care home or group child care center in which the alleged abuse or neglect took place.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from The Queen's Health Systems; Hawaii Nurses Association, OPEIU Local 50; Sounds of Success Preschool & Learning Center; and sixteen individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that working families rely on child care facilities to ensure that their children are safe and protected. Your Committee further finds that access to certain information will benefit parents and guardians when selecting a safe child care facility. Your Committee also notes that establishing a working group to identify rules and procedures relating to investigations and enforcement provides an opportunity to further improve rules and regulations involving child care facilities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language to establish a temporary working group to review laws, rules, and procedures relating to the coordination of investigations and enforcement efforts of the Child Welfare Services Branch and Child Care Licensing Program to improve safety in child care settings; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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. 1650, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1650, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

________________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair