STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2446

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3111

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3111 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a five-year Family Resource Centers Pilot Program within the Department of Human Services;

(2) Establish one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Family Resource Centers Coordinator position; and

(3) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Health, Kailua-Kalaheo Complex Area, Kailua High School, Neighborhood Place of Kona, Blueprint for Change, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, The ‘Ohana Support Network, Hawai‘i Afterschool Alliance, and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and the State Procurement Office.

Your Committee finds that family resource centers provide a number of critical services for families and are trusted sources of information and guidance. A number of studies have established that neighborhoods with family support centers have lower rates of child abuse, neglect investigations, and children entering the foster system compared to similar neighborhoods without family resource centers. As a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, there is a greater need than ever to provide support, knowledge of parenting and child development, and social connections. This measure promotes quality family engagement to address challenges heightened by the pandemic and formalizes a pilot-project family resource center network to facilitate strategic planning, align services and performance measures, and develop a referral and data sharing process.

Your Committee has reviewed the testimony of the Department of Budget and Finance expressing concerns regarding this measure's possible effect on the State's obligation to adhere to the maintenance of effort requirements as a recipient of Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief funds under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Recovery Plan Act of 2021. Your Committee finds that this issue raises concerns that merit further consideration and respectfully requests that your Committee on Ways and Means further examine the issues and concerns raised by the testimony.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of December 31, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

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. 3111, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3111, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair