STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3174

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1801

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1801, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent 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, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Parents and Children Together, Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and two individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Wellness and Resilience.

Your Committee finds that collaboration between the State's Child Welfare Services (CWS) Branch and organizations specializing in domestic violence can bridge knowledge gaps and foster a more holistic approach to family safety. Your Committee further finds that integrating domestic violence specialists into CWS operations will require thoughtful coordination and ongoing evaluation. While this initiative may entail additional resources and adjustments to existing workflows, the benefits of early identification and intervention in domestic violence cases far outweigh these challenges. By ensuring that CWS Branch staff receive specialized training and on-site support, this measure acknowledges the complexity of domestic violence cases and the need for expertise to identify risk factors, provide appropriate interventions, and support survivors.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1801, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1801, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair