STAND. COM. REP. NO. 123-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2503

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2503 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to better protect children from abuse or neglect by expanding the types of personnel who may place children into protective custody. This bill allows:

(1) Department of Public Safety (DPS) enforcement personnel authorized by the Director of Public Safety; or

(2) Investigators appointed by the Attorney General;

to provide protective custody of a child without a court order and without the consent of the child's family if there is reason to believe that continued care by the child's family could present imminent harm to the child.

The Department of Human Services, the Department of the Attorney General, and DPS testified in support of this bill.

According to DPS, its deputy sheriffs and narcotics enforcement officers as well as Attorney General investigators have witnessed child abuse while serving arrest warrants, providing security at the airports, or investigating criminal activity. Currently, however, county police officers are the only personnel authorized to take a child into protective custody.

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. 2503 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs.

 

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

 

____________________________

MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair