HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

220

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE House COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES TO CONVENE a working group TO further STUDY recommendations made by the Sr 10 working group committees.

 

 

 


    

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, in the 2004 Regular Session, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 40, authorizing the Senate Committee on Human Services to convene interim hearings on the Hawaii Family Court; and

 

     WHEREAS, the interim hearings were designed to explore ways to make the Hawaii Family Court more accessible and family oriented and focused on important issues relating to reduction in caseload; and

 

     WHEREAS, some of the recommendations were adopted and received legislative attention, but there were still other issues that remained unresolved; and

 

     WHEREAS, to continue work on the unresolved issues, in the 2006 Regular Session, the Senate and the House of Representatives adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 52, S.D. 1, authorizing the Committees on Human Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives to convene interim hearings on the use of legal interventions available to the Family Court and to establish one or more task forces to facilitate their work; and

 

     WHEREAS, the SCR 52 Task Force was established for that purpose; and

 

     WHEREAS, there are other issues and recommendations that the SCR 52 Task Force studied and recommended and was continued as the SR 10 Working Group; and,

 

     WHEREAS, there are other issues and recommendations that the SR 10 Working Group needs to study further; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, that the House Committee on Human Services is requested to convene a working group to further study the outstanding recommendations of the four committees that were formed relating to Family Court Models, Family Court Sunshine and Accountability, Temporary Restraining Orders, and the Best Interests of the Child, and any other related issues; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, upon the adoption of this Resolution, the working group is to be referred to as the Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group and cease to exist on January 1, 2011; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group include one representative of the Department of Human Services; the Department of Health; the Hawaii Association of Marriage and Family Therapists; the Family Law Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association; the National Association of Social Workers, Hawaii Chapter; the Children's Rights Council; the Hawaii Coalition for Dads; Legal Aid Society of Hawaii; Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii; the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline; the Mediation Center of the Pacific; EPIC Ohana Conferencing; the Hawaii Psychological Association; the Family Justice Alliance; VOICES; and the Commission on the Status of Women; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii Social Services Public Policy Center assist the Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group with the facilitation of the group's efforts; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group includes participation from persons who represent the neighbor islands in its discussions; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Family Court Legal Interventions Working Group submit an interim report, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011, and submit a final report, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Speaker of the House, the Chair of the House Committee on Human Services, the Chair of the House Committee on Judiciary, the Director of Human Services, the Director of Health, President of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, Chair of the Family Law Section, President of the Hawaii State Bar Association, Executive Director of the Hawaii Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, President of the Children's Rights Council of Hawaii, President of the Hawaii Coalition for Dads, President of the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Executive Director of Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, Executive Director of the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Executive Director of the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline, President of the Board of Directors of the Mediation Center of the Pacific, Director of EPIC Ohana Conferencing, President of Hawaii Psychological Association, the Family Justice Alliance, VOICES, the Commission on the Status of Women, the University of Hawaii Social Sciences Public Policy Center, and the Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Convening a working group to study recommendations by the SR 10 working group committees.