STAND. COM. REP. NO. 106-06

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: H.B. No. 937

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 937 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill as received is to abolish the QUEST Program enrollment cap.

For purposes of the public hearing, a proposed draft was circulated. The proposed draft establishes the Commission on Juvenile Justice (Commission) within the Department of Human Services to have oversight over the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF) and Office of Youth Services (OYS). Your Committee notes that it heard a similar measure, H.B. No. 1858, and because of a drafting error, inserted its contents, including changes suggested in written testimony, into the proposed draft.

HYCF, OYS, and the Attorney General offered comments.

Your Committee is aware that HYCF has been under scrutiny and has been evaluated by the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Although OYS and HYCF have been aware of these issues, your Committee believes that more assertive action is needed to address the needs of youth who receive services from OYS and HYCF.

 

Several members of your Committee expressed reservations with regard to this measure because OYS has never received full funding. However, for the betterment of at-risk youth receiving services from OYS and the youth in HYCF, your Committee believes this measure is worthy of further discussion and is open to further amendments, particularly with regard to implementation of the Commission.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended the bill as received by inserting the contents of the proposed draft.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 937, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 937, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

 

____________________________

ALEX M. SONSON, Chair