STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1257-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2305

S.D. 1

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 Public Safety, to which was referred S.B. No. 2305, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INCARCERATED PARENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to acknowledge adverse experiences faced by children of incarcerated parents and encourage continued efforts and engagement between the Department of Human Services, Department of Public Safety, the Family Reunification Working Group, and other community stakeholders by:

(1) Requiring the establishment of a pilot visitation center or centers for children of incarcerated parents in minimum security correctional facilities in the State and a plan for visitation centers at all state operated correctional facilities; and

(2) Appropriating funds to establish, develop, and implement the visitation centers.

The Office of the Public Defender, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Ka Lahui Hawai‘i Political Action Committee, YWCA O‘ahu, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, Ho‘omanapono Political Action Committee, Community Alliance on Prisons, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Children's Action Network, Blueprint for Change, Young Progressive Demanding Action – Hawaii, Hawai‘i Justice Coalition, and several concerned individuals supported this measure. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Public Safety, Department of Human Services, and a concerned individual offered comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying language requiring the establishment of a pilot visitation center or centers for children of incarcerated parents at one or more correctional facilities located in the State; and

(2) Replacing references to "minimum security correctional facilities" with "correctional facilities".

Should the Committee on Finance further deliberate this measure, your Committee respectfully suggests that it consider:

(1) Restoring social worker positions that were deleted by a House amendment to the proposed Executive Budget to help enable the Department of Public Safety to carry out the purposes of this measure; and

(2) Appropriating $300,000 for fiscal year 2018-2019 for work necessary to establish, develop, and implement this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2305, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2305, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair