STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1741-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.C.R. No. 162

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 Health & Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 162 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE JUDICIARY AND DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO NOT USE BLINDNESS AS A BASIS FOR DENYING PARENTAL RIGHTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Hawaii State Judiciary and Department of Human Services to not use a parent's, prospective parent's, or guardian's blindness as a basis for denial of parental or guardian status and exercise of related rights.

The Department of Human Services, Judiciary, and Hawaii Family Advocacy Team offered comments on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the unnecessary removal of some children of blind parents from their parents' care may be a national, rather than state, occurrence; and

(2) Removing the clear and convincing evidentiary standard for evidence presented by the party alleging that blindness is leading to behavior that may endanger the welfare of the child.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 162, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Judiciary in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 162, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair