STAND. COM. REP. NO. 295-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2555

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2555 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CHILD PROTECTIVE ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the child protective Act by:

(1) Amending the definition of "aggravated circumstances" to include when a parent has committed family violence; and

(2) Add a requirement for a primary aggressor assessment in service plans.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that child abuse is a concerning issue in Hawaii. According to Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Oahu, the State Judiciary's Children's Justice Centers, and partner agencies, there were 2,114 cases of child abuse in Hawaii in 2022, an increase of three hundred thirty-two cases from 2020. Your Committee further finds that this statistic does not reflect the full issue of the child abuse problem in Hawaii, as child abuse often goes unreported due to a multitude of factors. This measure aims to amend the Child Protective Act to better protect Hawaii's children.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the amendment to the definition of "aggravated circumstances" and instead amending the definition of "harm" under the Child Protective Act;

(2) Requiring an evaluation or assessment of certain family members in the family home in cases of alleged or confirmed domestic violence, rather than requiring an evaluation or assessment of the parents to include a primary aggressor assessment in cases of family violence; and

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2555, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2555, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair