STAND. COM. REP. NO. 260

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1079

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1079 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to direct and appropriate funds for the Office of Wellness and Resilience to collaborate with the Department of Human Services to, either directly or by contract, design, administer, and implement a program for trauma-informed organizational assessments and a training curriculum for the Department of Human Services Child Welfare Services Branch staff.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Wellness and Resilience; Department of Human Services; Hawai‘i Youth Services Network; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Mālama ‘Ohana Working Group; Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!; Early Childhood Action Strategy; and six individuals.

Your Committee finds that children and families involved with the Department of Human Services Child Welfare Services Branch have often experienced significant trauma, requiring a compassionate and well-informed response from staff. Your Committee further finds that the Malama Ohana Working Group, established by Act 86, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, has recommended comprehensive trauma-informed care training for all Child Welfare Services Branch staff to create a more supportive and effective child welfare system. To support these efforts, this measure directs the Office of Wellness and Resilience to collaborate with the Department of Human Services to develop and implement a trauma-informed organizational assessment and training program for Child Welfare Services Branch staff, which will provide training on vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout and address staff well-being.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amount to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully respects your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $425,000, as that amount is in the Governor's budget request.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1079, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair