STAND. COM. REP. NO.2601

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2753

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2753 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Department of Human Services to comply with state and federal program mandates to provide care to abused and neglected children and to find permanent homes for those children who are unable to return to their original home.

Your Committee finds that increasing demands have been placed on the entire Department of Human Services child protective system. In particular, the State's economic downturn, compounded by the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, have placed record demands on Child Protective Services and its foster care and adoption system.

Your Committee finds that additional funds are necessary if permanent homes are to be found for the children who cannot return to their original homes, as mandated by state and federal law. In order to maintain at least a minimum of services to its child welfare system, there is a need to appropriate funds for foster board and board related costs, permanency assistance, and difficulty-of-care payments for foster and adoptive parents, permanent custodians, and guardians of special needs children.

Your Committee finds that this bill is necessary to ensure the integrity of the Department of Human Services' child protective system and to protect the safety of all of Hawaii's children.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2753 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair