STAND. COM. REP. NO. 216

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 921

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 921 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MINORS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow a provider of medical services to provide emergency shelter and related services to a minor, under certain circumstances, to protect the health and safety of the minor.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Youth Services; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Hale Kipa, Inc.; Hawaii Foster Youth Coalition; American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii; and Planned Parenthood of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that some youth lack regular nighttime residence and related services.  Some youth choose to leave their homes for a variety of reasons, while others may be denied housing by their parent, legal guardian, or custodian.  These youth may not be abused, neglected, or subject to imminent harm, and therefore are not eligible for services offered by the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee further finds that the number of youth who cannot obtain parental or guardian consent for shelter admission is small, but the consequences when youth are forced to remain on the street are severe.  These youth are at high risk for physical or sexual assault, poor nutrition, inadequate health care, and inability to attend school.

 

     Your Committee also finds that admitting a youth to a shelter assures the youth a safe place to stay and also allows the shelter staff to begin the process of addressing the family issues that led to the youth leaving home.  Family counseling can be initiated to facilitate the youth's safe return home, or if that is not in the best interest of the youth, alternative housing can be arranged.

 

     Additionally, your Committee finds that it is in the best interest of a youth to be provided with adequate emergency shelter and related services in lieu of returning to the streets.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by requiring the provider to make a good faith effort to contact the minor's parent, legal guardian, or custodian to obtain consent for emergency shelter and related services.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 921, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 921, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair