STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1076-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2375

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOCIAL WORK,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Public Safety, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, to develop and establish a social work training program to assist incarcerated nonviolent individuals to explore a professional pathway in social work and become eligible to work as assistants to licensed social workers; and

(2) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Community Alliance on Prisons, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, The National Association of Social Workers Hawai‘i Chapter, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is facing a shortage of social workers to help people in the State manage their mental health and cope with stressors in their everyday lives. Your Committee further finds that some nonviolent incarcerated individuals may be uniquely qualified to enter the field of social work as assistants. This measure will encourage incarcerated nonviolent individuals, who have valuable life experience interfacing with social service organizations, to train and pursue employment opportunities in the area of social work, which may help with these individuals' successful reentry into the community.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair