STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1009

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 640

H.D. 3

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 640, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Office of the Ombudsman to publish an annual report that identifies the number and nature of complaints regarding the Child Welfare Services Branch of the Department of Human Services; and

(2) Require the Child Welfare Services Branch to provide notification to certain parties that complaints can also be filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services; Office of the Ombudsman; and Mālama ‘Ohana Working Group.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 640, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 640, H.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair