STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2841

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3204

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3204 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY RESILIENCE PILOT PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to help divert children and families away from involvement with the State's Child Welfare System by establishing a one-year Family Resilience Pilot Program within the Office of Wellness and Resilience.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Office of Wellness and Resilience, State Health Planning and Development Agency, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Aloha United Way, Goodwill Hawaii, Partners in Development Foundation, and two individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that more programs and resources are needed to increase family resilience and reduce the risk of child abuse or neglect. Your Committee further finds that in its final report submitted to the Legislature, the Malama Ohana Working Group, established by Act 86, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, recommended the establishment of primary prevention and universal support programs that are trauma-informed and culturally responsive in an effort to divert children and families away from involvement with the child welfare system.

Your Committee recognizes that community- and school-based organizations, including family resource centers, are safe, accessible, and non-judgmental spaces where families can access formal and informal supports and referrals, and have been successful models for reducing the number of families reported to the child welfare system. Accordingly, your Committee finds that the one-year pilot program established by this measure will help support families and inform future policymaking.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation from $600,000 to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050; to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3204, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3204, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair