HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
71 |
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
urging the office of youth services to develop a list and inventory of programs that work with pacific islander youth and their families.
WHEREAS, the Office of Youth Services of the Department of Human Services provides and coordinates a continuum of services and programs for at-risk youth to prevent delinquency and reduce the incidence of recidivism; and
WHEREAS, although a core responsibility of the Office of Youth Services is to manage and operate the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility, the agency also provides and supports other prevention, diversion, and intervention services; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Youth Services supports the Hawaii Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council, which advises government and local communities on effective service provisions and policies that improve the juvenile justice system and advocates for delinquency prevention, and Hawaii State Youth Commission, which advises the Governor and Legislature on the effects of legislative policies, needs, assessments, priorities, programs, and budgets concerning the youth of the State; and
WHEREAS, Pacific Islander youth are overrepresented within the State's social, behavioral, and health systems, including the juvenile justice system and the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility; and
WHEREAS, in light of youth suicide rates, dropout rates, and interactions with the criminal justice system, especially for youth originating from the Pacific Islands, the youth of Hawaii would benefit from the myriad of Pacific Islander youth programs offered to assist at-risk youth; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, to address the lack of awareness of existing programs for Pacific Islander youth, the Office of Youth Services procured a contract for a statewide youth services directory; and
WHEREAS, however, due to budgets cuts, this contract was terminated in 2020; and
WHEREAS, there is a lack of awareness of and coordination for programs and services in the State, especially for programs that work with Pacific Islander youth and their families; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, the Senate concurring, that the Office of Youth Services is urged to develop a list and inventory of programs that work with Pacific Islander youth and their families; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Youth Services is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2024; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Services and Executive Director of the Office of Youth Services.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Department of Human Services; Office of Youth Services; Pacific Islanders; Programs