STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1428

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 295

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 295, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Malama Ohana Working Group within the Office of Wellness and Resilience to seek, design, and recommend transformative changes to the State's existing child welfare system; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the Malama Ohana Working Group.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Department of Human Services; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Office of Wellness and Resilience; Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i Youth Services Network; Catholic Charities Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hale Kipa; Rainbow Family 808; Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform; EPIC ‘Ohana, Inc.; Family Programs Hawaii; Nā Kama a Hāloa; Hawai‘i Community Foundation; and seventeen individuals.

Your Committee finds that the problems faced by children and families in the State's child welfare system are extremely complex. Addressing the needs of the State's families and children, particularly the needs of Native Hawaiian families and children, requires collaboration between the Department of Human Services and community stakeholders. Your Committee further finds that the Office of Wellness and Resilience, established by Act 291, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, is uniquely situated to address the various barriers that impact the physical, social, and emotional well-being of all people in the State. The Malama Ohana Working Group established by this measure is intended to improve outcomes for all children and families in the State's child welfare system by collaboratively working with the community to protect children in and out of the child welfare system.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the composition and membership of the Malama Ohana Working Group; 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 Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 295, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 295, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair