STAND. COM. REP. NO.  57

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 435

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 435 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GRANDPARENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1)  Allow the family court to award a grandparent, upon petition to the court, custody rights to a minor child, and to establish criteria to obtain such custody; and

(2)  Establish additional criteria regarding the award by the family court of grandparent visitation rights to a minor child.

Several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii State Bar Association Family Law Section opposed this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2075, to facilitate further discussion on this measure; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 435, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 435, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair