STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1103

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 129

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 129, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MINORS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require providers of no-cost emergency shelter and related services to maintain separation for unrelated adults and minor children; and

(2) Make permanent the amendments to the definition of "provider" to include organizations, which are not child placing organizations or child caring institutions that meet certain criteria.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Rainbow Family 808, Hawai‘i Youth Services Network, and Opportunity Youth Action Hawai‘i. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committees find that there is a population of unaccompanied homeless minors who avoid the use of shelter services due to fear of being placed into the foster care system or into a shelter situation that they do not want to be in. To allow these youth to access emergency shelters, Act 23, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021 (Act 23), expanded the definition of a "provider" who may provide consenting minors with no-cost emergency shelter and related services to include organizations that are not child placing organizations or child caring institutions under certain conditions. However, Act 23 is scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2023. This measure repeals the sunset date for Act 23, thereby making the expanded definition of "provider" permanent and provides further protection to minors in emergency shelters by requiring the providers to maintain fully separated service areas between unrelated minors and adults.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 129, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair