STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1436-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2375

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 1, H.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 nonviolent incarcerated individuals to explore a professional pathway in social work and become eligible to work as assistants to licensed social workers; and

(2) Appropriate funds to develop and establish the program.

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

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. This shortage is of concern, as demand for services will likely increase as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and its aftermath. 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 may 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) Clarifying that the Department of Public Safety and Department of Human Services are to jointly submit a report on their progress in developing and establishing the social work training program; 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 Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2375, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair