STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1980

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 952

S.D. 2

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 Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 952, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require and appropriate funds for the Department of Human Services to design, implement, and administer a five-year Child Welfare System Diversion and Intervention Pilot Program to provide services for families and children involved, at risk of involvement, or at risk of reinvolvement with Child Welfare Services; and

(2) Require the Department of Human Services to collaborate with the Office of Wellness and Resilience when designing the Pilot Program and submitting a joint report to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Wellness and Resilience; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; Neighborhood Place of Puna; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Opportunity for Youth Action Hawaiʻi; National Center for Youth Law; Mālama ʻOhana Working Group; and five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health; Department of Human Services; and Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 952, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 952, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair