STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2726

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2211

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2211, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO YOUTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide opportunities for youth to access safe places, services, and guidance.

     Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Requires the Office of Youth Services of the Department of Human Services to coordinate a five-year Safe Places for Youth pilot program, to coordinate a network of places where youth can be safe and obtain advice, guidance, and access to beneficial programs and services;

     (2)  Establishes a Safe Places for Youth Program coordinator position and appropriates moneys for the coordinator position; and

     (3)  Establishes rules for allowing minors to consent to enter the program.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of the measure from the Office of Youth Services of the Department of Human Services, Partners in Care, PHOCUSED, Blueprint for Change, Hale Opio Kauai Inc., Planned Parenthood of Hawaii, and one individual.  Written comments in opposition were submitted by the Hawaii Association for Justice.  Written comments were submitted by the Hawaii Youth Services Network.

     Your Committee finds that youth in Hawaii are vulnerable to abuse, neglect, domestic violence, bullying, substance abuse, and other threats when they do not have access to safe places and responsible mentors who can provide advice, guidance, and access to beneficial services.  Youth need access to safe places where they will not fear being judged, detained, or criminalized as runaways.  This measure will create a pilot program to provide the safe places, guidance, and services that many youth in Hawaii need.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting a provision that would immunize service providers from civil and criminal liability;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

     (3)  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 Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2211, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2211, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair