STAND. COM. REP. NO. 310-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1705

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1705 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow licensed mental health counselors to be appointed as child custody evaluators in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that the limited pool of qualified child custody evaluators in Family Court proceedings exacerbates delays in the face of a high demand for child custody evaluations across the State, resulting in backlogs and extended wait times that delay critical decisions. Your Committee further finds that licensed mental health counselors meet the professional standards required of child custody evaluators and are well equipped to provide these evaluations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee requests that, as this measure moves through the legislative process, an effective date of upon approval be considered.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1705, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1705, 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 & Homelessness,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair