STAND. COM. REP. NO. 219-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1801

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. 1801 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Department of Human Services to contract with one or more organizations specializing in domestic violence to provide training and on-site staff in Child Welfare Services Branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hale Kipa; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Malama Ohana Working Group, established by Act 86, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, was tasked with recommending transformative changes to the State's child welfare system. The Working Group recommended, among many recommendations, to strengthen the capacity of the Child Welfare Services Branch of the Department of Human Services to manage cases that are complicated by domestic violence experienced by a parent or children in the family. In cases involving domestic violence, the child welfare services system must differentiate between parents who cooperate with the system and those who use the system to punish or continue abusing their partner. This measure implements those recommendations by ensuring that staff in the Child Welfare Services Branch receive specialized, comprehensive domestic violence training and providing on-site staffing for support in screening and assisting in cases.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the preamble to clarify the intended scope of training; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $200,000.

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. 1801, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1801, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair