STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3288

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 2507
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Judiciary,
to which was referred H.B. No. 2507 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PERMANENT PLAN HEARING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the family court, at
a permanent plan hearing for child abuse cases, to dispense with
a child's consent to the proposed permanent plan.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this
measure from the Department of Human Services (DHS).

     This measure clarifies the duties of the court in reviewing
a proposed permanent plan by the DHS.  The DHS is the usual
agency that prepares a permanent plan for court approval in cases
of child abuse.  The intent of this measure is to allow the court
to act in the best interest of the child by requiring the court
to first consult privately with the child before it decides to
dispense with the child's consent.

     This measure alleviates the necessity that the child testify
openly in court as to the child's preferences, which can be
embarrassing, and mentally and emotionally damaging to the child.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Health and Human Services and Judiciary that are
attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3288
                                   Page 2


intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2507 and recommend that it pass
Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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



____________________________       ______________________________
AVERY B. CHUMBLEY, Co-Chair        SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair



____________________________       
MATTHEW M. MATSUNAGA, Co-Chair

 
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