STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3035

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2397

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to ensure that child custody evaluators have adequate training on domestic violence issues.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Requires that, beginning on July 1, 2023, certain persons attempting to serve as child custody evaluators in Family Court proceedings complete a training course on domestic violence issues every three years; and

(2) Requires that the training course be approved for professional credit by the applicable professional accreditation body or recommended by any state domestic violence services provider.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Early Childhood Action Strategy, Domestic Violence Action Center, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Parents and Children Together, the Public Policy Committee of the American Association of University Women of Hawaii, and seven individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Judiciary.

Your Committee finds that the recurring domestic violence training required by this measure will help to ensure that child custody evaluators who make recommendations to the Family Court receive appropriate training on the dynamics of domestic violence and related issues.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the training course shall be developed and facilitated by the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, rather than a course approved for professional credit by the applicable professional accreditation body or recommended by any state domestic violence services provider;

(2) Deleting Section 3 of the measure and inserting, in its place, an appropriation of $35,000 to the Judiciary for development of the required training course, with a provision specifying that the Judiciary may contract with a nonprofit organization to develop the course curriculum and facilitate the training process; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2397, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair