STAND. COM. REP. NO. 715

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 958

       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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 958, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY COURT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to assist the family court in making informed decisions in child custody cases by:

 

     (1)  Establishing a registry of child custody evaluators or experts; and

 

     (2)  Allowing the Board of Family Court Judges to develop standards and procedures for child custody evaluators.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from nine individuals.

 

Your Committee received comments on the measure from Glennard Fong, Chief Court Administrator, First Circuit, The Judiciary, State of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that child custody evaluators can play a valuable role in family court by investigating and reporting on issues related to child custody cases.  Developing standards and procedures for evaluators and creating a registry of qualified evaluators will enable parties to select an appropriate evaluator and facilitate informed decision-making by the court.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of consistency, clarity, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 958, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 958, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair