CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 115

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    S.B. No. 1779

       H.D. 3

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1779, H.D. 3, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to provide better protections for the children of Hawaii.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that it is in the public's interest to establish a two-year statewide task force to evaluate and make recommendations on the State's responses to cases of child sexual assault and exploitation to make improvements and to better protect and serve the children of Hawaii.  Your Committee on Conference further finds that the Department of Human Services should be able to ensure the safety of children who are not safe in their family homes by submitting a permanent plan with the goal of guardianship that the court should be able to award without the termination of parental rights.

     Your Committee on Conference amended this measure to:

     (1)  Deleting references to a task force;

     (2)  Deleting the appropriation;

     (3)  Changing the effective date to upon approval; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1779, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1779, H.D. 3, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Co-Chair	____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair
____________________________ TOMMY WATERS, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair
____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair