STAND. COM. REP. NO. 93-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2425

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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2425 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT CENTRAL REGISTRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify:

(1) That a confirmed report of child abuse or neglect, harm, or threatened harm will result in the perpetrator's name being maintained in the Department of Human Services central registry of reported child abuse or neglect cases; and

(2) When a person's name may be expunged from the central registry of reported child abuse or neglect cases, and establish a process for expungement upon request.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Department of the Attorney General; and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Coalition for Child Protective Reform.

Your Committee finds that this measure has a delayed implementation date of July 1, 2025, to allow the Department of Human Services to establish administrative rules and implement a form-based expungement process.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2425, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2425, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair