STAND. COM. REP. NO.155

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 1106

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1106 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation to provide funds for services mandated to be provided by the Department of Human Services by court order.

Your Committee received testimony in favor of this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Human Services (department) does not have the funds needed to comply with court orders relating to the Felix v. Cayetano matter. The United States District Court for the District of Hawaii ordered the department to hire additional personnel to deliver direct and support services to children, foster parents, and social workers. In addition, that court ordered the expansion of contracted services to recruit and support foster parents for special needs children and to expand comprehensive services for the child welfare services population.

Your Committee finds that immediate compliance with these court orders is required and can be accomplished with the emergency appropriation provided by this measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1106 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair