STAND. COM. REP. NO. 817-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2277

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2277, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure the safety and well-being of at-risk children and families in East Hawaii on Hawaii Island by:

(1) Establishing a five-year pilot project within the Department of Human Services that limits the number of children supervised by each East Hawaii child welfare services section social worker to twenty or fewer; and

(2) Appropriating funds for eight full-time equivalent case managers and fifteen full-time equivalent support staff positions in the East Hawaii child welfare services section on Hawaii Island as part of the pilot project.

The Mayor for the County of Hawaii, Hawai‘i Psychological Association, East Hawaii Friends of Foster Families, Hawaii Family Forum, HI H.O.P.E.S. Initiative's Youth Leadership Board, Epic ‘Ohana, Inc., Winners' Camp Foundation, Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, and numerous concerned individuals supported this measure. The Department of Human Services, Friends of the Children's Justice Center of East Hawaii, and Catholic Charities Hawai‘i offered comments for this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2277, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair