STAND. COM. REP. NO. 771

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 274
                                     H.D. 3




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No.
274, H.D. 2, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to prevent child abuse and
improve Hawaii's child protection system by:

     (1)  Mandating foster parent training for foster parents of
          licensed foster homes, emergency foster homes, and
          relative foster homes;

     (2)  Requiring mandated reporters to orally report child
          abuse to both the Department of Human Services (DHS)
          and police departments;

     (3)  Allowing a police officer to assume protective custody
          of a child without a court order and without the
          consent of the child's family under certain conditions;

     (4)  Mandating a show cause hearing if a child has been
          residing without the family for a period of twelve
          months or if there has been a court-ordered service
          plan for a period of one year; 

     (5)  Establishing a medical and health case management
          procedure for the medical oversight of children in the
          Child Protective Services system; and

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 771
                                 Page 2

 
     (6)  Appropriating an unspecified amount of funding for the
          protection of children from abuse and neglect.

     The Honolulu Police Department submitted testimony in
support of this measure.  DHS and the Department of Health
submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying the purpose of the appropriation to foster
          parent training;

     (2)  Mandating the police departments to assume protective
          custody of any child who is in danger of imminent harm;

     (3)  Authorizing the police departments to assume protective
          custody of any child when:

          (A)  The child has no legal custodian who is willing
               and able to provide a safe family home for the
               child; and

          (B)  There is evidence that a parent or guardian is
               likely to flee the jurisdiction of the court with
               the child;

          and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
274, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 274, H.D. 3.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Finance,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair