STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2227

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2523

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2523 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Judiciary to establish a three-year pilot program to provide free child care services to minor children of parties and witnesses who are attending court hearings in the first circuit.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Judiciary.

Your Committee finds that due to the high cost of child care, many parents are unable to afford to pay for child care services while they attend court hearings. Additionally, the availability of child care in licensed and registered family child care homes and child care centers has been on the decline since before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, leaving many families unable to secure child care. This measure will allow parents to attend necessary court proceedings without the burdens of finding and affording child care services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have required the Judiciary to establish a three-year pilot program to provide free child care services to minor children of parties and witnesses who are attending court hearings in the first circuit;

(2) Adding language that requires the Judiciary to conduct a study to determine how to implement a program no later than July 1, 2025 that provides free child care services to minor children of parties and witnesses who are attending court hearings in the First Circuit Family Court;

(3) Deleting language requiring the Judiciary to submit reports to the Legislature regarding the three-year pilot program;

(4) Requiring the Judiciary to submit a report regarding the study no later than forty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025;

(5) Decreasing the appropriation amount to $75,000; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2523, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2523, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair