STAND. COM. REP. NO. 429

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 1052
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 1052 entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purposes of this administration measure is to make
clarifying amendments to Act 302, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH)
1996, relating to a child protective services reform coordinating
committee and to extend the sunset date for Act 302 from June 30,
1999, to June 30, 2002.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Youth
Services, Neighborhood Place of Kona, and Blueprint for Change.
Testimony in opposition was received from the Hawaii Government
Employees Association.

     This measure permits the Director of Human Services rather
than the Governor to appoint members of the child protective
services reform coordinating committee.  It allows the DHS to
share information with the neighborhood places, with applicable
confidentiality.  Finally, this measure extends the sunset date
of Act 302, SLH 1996.  Your Committee believes that this measure
will allow the coordinating committee to be more effective and
efficient in performing its required functions.

     The Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA) expressed
concerns that the Child Protective Services Coordinating

 
a                                                     SB1052 SD1
                                                      
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 429
                                   Page 2


Committee should have more representatives from the line staff,
such as employees from assessment, case management, and foster
home licensing, on the committee.  Your Committee concurs with
the HGEA suggestion and recommends strongly that the DHS ask
representatives from these groups of line staff to become members
of the committee.  The Director of the Department of Human
Services expressed enthusiasm and willingness to invite
representatives from these groups of line staff to be on the
committee.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical,
nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 1052, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1052,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
a                                                     SB1052 SD1