Report Title:

Child Welfare Services Reform Coordinating Committee

Description:

Establishes a child welfare services reform coordinating committee, including committee members and required submission of an annual progress report to the legislature.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

270

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to child welfare services.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that through collaboration the State can improve upon child welfare policies, procedures, and resources. By taking a broader and more inclusive perspective, the State is better able to assess the flaws in its programs for child abuse and neglect and foster children.

The purpose of this Act is to bring together a committee of child welfare services agencies to identify problems and barriers to effective child welfare policies and to develop appropriate solutions and resources. Additionally, the committee shall coordinate training and educational opportunities to community and agency personnel involved with child welfare issues.

SECTION 2. Chapter 587, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§587- Child welfare services reform coordinating committee; established. (a) There is established a child welfare services reform coordinating committee to develop and improve the child welfare policies of the State. The coordinating committee shall meet not less than quarterly and such meetings shall be subject to chapter 92. It shall be the duty of the coordinating committee to:

(1) Identify problems and barriers, including policies and procedures and resources that are lacking in communities;

(2) Develop solutions and resources to resolve problems and barriers identified by the committee with input from the Neighborhood Places and other community members;

(3) Utilize national policy trends and innovative solutions to facilitate solutions to problems in Hawaii in collaboration with the blueprint for change policy advisory committee; and

(4) Coordinate the provision of training and educational opportunities to community and agency personnel involved with child welfare issues.

(b) The department shall be the lead agency for the child welfare service reform coordinating committee. As the lead agency, the department shall act as facilitator of and provide administrative support to the coordinating committee.

(c) The child welfare service reform coordinating committee members shall include:

(1) The director of human services, or a designated representative as a voting, ex-officio member;

(2) The director of health, or a designated representative as a voting, ex-officio member;

(3) The superintendent of education, or a designated representative as a voting, ex-officio member;

(4) The executive director of the office of youth services, or a designated representative as a voting, ex-officio member;

(5) One representative from the family court shall be selected by the chief justice of the supreme court;

(6) One representative from the blueprint for change task force created by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 89, H.D. 1, as adopted by the legislature during the 1994 regular session;

(7) One representative from the Alliance for Health and Human Services;

(8) Four representatives from community service organizations with experience with child welfare issues, to include the Hawaii Children's Trust Fund, The Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Hui, a representative of the Citizens Review Panels, and a representative from the Child Welfare Services Advisory Committee;

(9) Five representatives at-large; of which one person shall be employed at the department of human services child welfare services unit; two persons shall be line staff of the child welfare services unit selected by the exclusive representative of the applicable collective bargaining unit; and one person shall be from each Neighborhood Place once the sites have been selected;

(10) The senate chair of the committee of related subject matter shall be a voting, ex-officio member; and

(11) The house of representatives chair of the committee of related subject matter shall be a voting, ex-officio member.

The members of the coordinating committee shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and the non ex-officio members shall be subject to the requirements of section 26-34. The coordinating committee may adopt rules subject to chapter 91.

(d) The child welfare services reform coordinating committee shall submit an annual report to the legislature on its progress and any recommendations for legislative action no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session. Copies of the annual reports shall be made available to interested community groups."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________