STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1220

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 616

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 616, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Clarify that awards of visitation rights to parents may include visitation by electronic communication;

 

     (2)  Establish factors that the court shall consider in awarding visitation by electronic communication; and

 

     (3)  Authorize courts to set guidelines for visitation by electronic communication, including supervision as ordered by the court.

 

     Your Committee understands that in some instances, visitation by electronic communication is currently included as part of an award of visitation rights, but it is not a standard practice and the guidelines for such visitation may differ.  Your Committee is not fully convinced that establishing visitation by electronic communication in statute is necessary at this time, but your Committee remains willing to continue deliberations on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the effective date from July 1, 2050, to July 1, 2051, to allow for further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 616, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 616, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair