CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 3-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

RE:    H.B. No. 2350

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2350, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOSTER 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:

     (1)  Update certain statutory references for "foster boarding home" to "resource family home" and "foster parents" to "resource caregivers";

     (2)  Establish qualified immunity from liability for resource caregivers and child caring institutions that authorize a child's participation in activities pursuant to the reasonable and prudent parent standard;

     (3)  Add the requirement that resource caregivers and child care institutions use the reasonable and prudent parent standard when authorizing children in foster care to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities; and

     (4)  Require courts, in proceedings for children aged fourteen years or older, to make findings and include in the permanent plan the services needed to assist the child to transition from foster care to independent living.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending the purpose section to clarify the intent of the measure;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2016; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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 H.B. No. 2350, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2350, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair	____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA, Co-Chair
____________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Co-Chair	____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair