STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2464

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2892

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2892 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REPORTS OF CHILD ABUSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to grant immunity from civil and criminal liability to individuals who provide information or assistance in child abuse investigations.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, as amended, provides federal funding to states for prevention, assessment, investigation, prosecution, and treatment activities for child abuse and neglect. On January 7, 2019, the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018, was enacted, further amending certain provisions of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.

Your Committee learned through testimony that the federal Administration for Children and Families informed the State that failure to comply with the amended section of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act by June 30, 2020, would result in withholding grant funding.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of June 30, 2020.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2892, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2892, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair