STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1009

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1226

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1226, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require criminal history record checks of adult relatives who provide care for a child whose family receives a child care subsidy from the Department of Human Services;

(2) Clarify the role and response of the child care licensing program when it receives a report of death or injury of a child in a child care setting;

(3) Address the release of information pending an investigation; and

(4) Increase penalties and clarify that the Department of Human Services may take administrative and judicial action to enforce child care licensing requirements.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and two individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest.

Your Committees find that it is imperative that children in child care are in a safe setting. Your Committees further find that existing law does not require criminal history record checks from adult relatives who provide care for a child whose family receives a child subsidy from the Department of Human Services. This measure makes criminal history record checks mandatory for potential child care providers and increases penalties for people who engage in illegal child care. This measure will provide the Department of Human Services with more tools to quickly enforce violations, protect children from predators, provide children with safer care, and deter people from engaging in illegal child care.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1226, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1226, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair