STAND. COM. REP. NO.  110

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 673

      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. 673 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD CARE FACILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve oversight over child care facilities by:

(1)  Establishing the Child Care Facility Inspection Information Oversight Committee (Oversight Committee) to oversee implementation of and compliance with Department of Human Services (DHS) child care facility record requirements under Section 346-153(c), Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2)  Requiring DHS to post child care facility inspection reports on its website;

(3)  Requiring DHS to submit annual reports to the Legislature on child care facility complaints; and

(4)  Appropriating funds for DHS to implement and comply with the reporting requirements for child care facilities.

Numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  DHS, Hawaii Children's Action Network, and several individuals commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting the Oversight Committee;

(2)  Requiring DHS to post reports of all child care facility inspections on its website within 30 working days of the conclusion of each inspection;

(3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2075, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     Should the Committee on Finance hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $80,000 for each year of the 2017-2019 Fiscal Biennium to implement and comply with the reporting requirements for child care facilities as required by this measure.

     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. 673, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 673, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair