STAND. COM. REP. NO. 27

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1117
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred H.B. No. 1117 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CHILD PROTECTIVE ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to bring Hawaii into compliance
with the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which
seeks to expedite permanency for children in foster care.

     The Department of Human Services (DHS) submitted testimony
in support of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that this bill defines the term
"abandoned infant" and adds abandonment of an infant and torture
of a child to the list of aggravated circumstances where DHS is
not required to make reasonable efforts to reunite a child with
the child's family.  This measure also expedites decision-making
in child welfare cases, as required by federal law.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that DHS will file a motion for a permanent
          plan hearing unless the child is being cared for by a
          relative and the court has determined that this is the
          most appropriate placement for the child; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of clarity and style.

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 27
                                 Page 2

 
     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 H.B. No. 1117, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1117, 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