STAND. COM. REP. NO. 265

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1383

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. 1383 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A FAMILY RESILIENCE PILOT PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a five-year Family Resilience Pilot Program within the Office of Wellness and Resilience to provide trauma-informed peer support, financial assistance and resource supports, and trauma-informed parenting intervention services for local families.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Wellness and Resilience; Department of Human Services; Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform; Mālama ‘Ohana Working Group; Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!; Catholic Charities Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i Youth Services Network; Early Childhood Action Strategy; National Center for Youth Law; Hale Kipa; and five individuals.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii lacks sufficient resources to prevent families from entering the child welfare system, particularly in primary prevention and universal support services. Many at-risk families are unaware of available assistance, and establishing programs like family resource centers and accessible pathways to basic needs can help divert them from child welfare involvement. Therefore, this measure establishes and funds a five-year Family Resilience Pilot Program within the Office of Wellness and Resilience to support at-risk families and reduce child welfare system involvement.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Office of Wellness and Resilience to establish data and referral system tracking needs and protocols and an implementation and evaluation plan that includes certain goals by December 31, 2025;

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

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

(4) 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 $1,468,500.

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. 1383, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1383, 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