STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3176

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3237

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 3237, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to more effectively identify and prevent harm to at-risk children, including children who are or have been in the foster care system.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Expands the investigative power of the Department of Human Services to include children who:

(A) Have been adopted or have been placed in legal guardianship, and whose adoptive families or legal guardians are receiving federal or state financial assistance; and

(B) Are in the foster care system and have a pending petition for adoption, or for whom an adoption decree has been issued but the children have not yet been placed in the custody of the adoption petitioner;

(2) Establishes a two-year crisis mobile outreach team pilot program within the Department of Health to expand and support existing crisis response services and programs for at-risk youth;

(3) Appropriates moneys for the Department of Health to establish the crisis mobile outreach team pilot program, including the hiring and training of mental health professionals; and

(4) Appropriates moneys for the Department of Human Services to hire additional case workers and support staff, and to fill vacancies and retain employees in existing child welfare services case worker positions.

Your Committees received written comments in support of this measure from four individuals.

Your Committees received written comments in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committees received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that this measure's grant of expanded investigative powers to the Department of Human Services and establishment of a crisis mobile outreach team pilot program within the Department of Health will collectively strengthen the network of state systems that protect and ensure the safety of at-risk children and will improve mental health crisis intervention services for at-risk youth.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to the Department of Health for establishment of the crisis mobile outreach team pilot program from $1,780,000 to an unspecified amount to facilitate further discussion on this measure; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3237, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3237, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair