STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1242

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1079

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1079, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Direct 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; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, State Council on Mental Health, Office of Wellness and Resilience, Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform, Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Human Services' Child Welfare Services Branch handles complex cases that have resulted in significant trauma for children, families, and vicarious trauma for staff members. Presently, the Child Welfare Services Branch employs trauma-informed approaches to assist clients navigating child welfare services. However, enhancing existing training and policies to support trauma-informed care, including collaboration with the Office of Wellness and Resilience, will reduce burnout, improve service delivery and response, develop staff competencies, and support staff recruitment and retention efforts. Therefore, this measure encourages the State to achieve its goals of addressing mental health issues through trauma-informed care and practices that reduce traumatization of individuals within the child welfare services system.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

Your Committee notes that this measure contains an unspecified appropriation amount. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting an appropriation amount of $420,000 for the Office of Wellness and Resilience, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, to establish directly or by contract, a program for trauma-informed organizational assessments and a training curriculum for Department of Human Services Child Welfare Services staff.

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

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair