STAND. COM. REP. NO. 670

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 383

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 383 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a Child Welfare Services Task Force to review the Child Welfare Services Branch and examine best practices that will help to improve child care safety through the Branch.

O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and many individuals supported this measure. The Hawaii Family Advocacy Team opposed this measure. The Department of Human Services and East Hawaii Friends of Foster Families provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Department of Human Services to merge this task force with any existing task forces that address the Child Welfare Services Branch, should one currently exist;

(2) Requiring task force members to recommend additional members from the following groups:

(A) Current or former foster youth;

(B) Resource caregivers;

(C) Biological parents of current or former foster youths; and

(D) Frontline child welfare services social workers; and

(3) Changing its effective date to January 1, 2059, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 383, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 383, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair