STAND. COM. REP. NO. 609

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 975

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 975 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to add immunity from civil and criminal liability for 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 that state law is currently not in compliance with the federal Child Abuse and Prevention Treatment Act, as amended, which would provide federal funding for prevention, assessment, investigation, prosecution, and treatment activities for child abuse and neglect. The United States Department of Human Services, Administration for Children and Families granted Hawaii an extension to bring state law into compliance and has warned the State that failure to do so by June 30, 2021, may result in no federal grant funding for Fiscal Year 2022, or until such time as the State comes into compliance. Accordingly, this measure must be signed into law before June 30, 2021, to ensure compliance and availability of federal funds.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 975, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 975, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair