STAND. COM. REP. NO. 898-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: S.B. No. 2847
                                     S.D. 2
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2847, S.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE
     PARENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to:

     (1)  Require the Department of Human Services (DHS) to
          develop standards to assure the reputable and
          responsible character of prospective adoptive parents
          including the requirement of obtaining a criminal
          history record check;

     (2)  Define "perspective adoptive parents" to mean a person
          or persons who are married to each other, who are
          applying to the DHS to adopt a child or children, and

     (3)  Amend section 846-10, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to allow
          the dissemination of criminal history record
          information by the DHS.

     The Attorney General, the DHS, and a concerned individual
testified in support of the measure.


 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 898-00
                                 Page 2

 
     Your Committee finds that the Federal Adoption and Safe
Families Act of 1997 requires states to obtain a criminal history
record check on prospective adoptive parents.  However, your
Committee further finds that the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data
Center will not perform these checks unless mandated to do so by
state statute.  Your Committee believes that this measure will
allow the DHS to comply with federal mandates.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its
contents and replacing it with the contents of H.B. No. 2506,
H.D. 1, which was reported from the House after public hearings
before your Committees on Human Services and Housing, Judiciary
and Hawaiian Affairs, and Finance.  H.B. No. 2506, H.D.1 is
substantially similar to S.B. No. 2847 S.D. 2, except that it
does not allow the dissemination of criminal history record
information by DHS.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2847, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No.
2847, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on
Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair