Report Title:

Child Protective Services

Description:

Changes the number of days within which DHS is required to file a temporary foster custody petition from three to four working days, and to file reports with the court from fifteen to five days before the hearing date. Makes assault or terroristic threatening on a child welfare social worker a felony.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1002

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 587-21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

"(b) Upon satisfying itself as to the course of action that should be pursued to best accord with the purpose of this chapter, the department shall:

(1) Resolve the matter in an informal fashion appropriate under the circumstances;

(2) Seek to enter into a service plan, without filing a petition in court, with members of the child's family and other authorized agency as the department deems necessary to the success of the service plan, including but not limited to, the member or members of the child's family who have legal custody of the child. The service plan may include an agreement with the child's family to voluntarily place the child in the foster custody of the department or other authorized agency, or to place the child and the necessary members of the child's family under the family supervision of the department or other authorized agency; provided that if a service plan is not successfully completed within six months, the department shall file a petition or ensure that a petition is filed by another appropriate authorized agency in court under this chapter and the case shall be reviewed as is required by federal law;

(3) Assume temporary foster custody of the child pursuant to section 587-24(a) and file a petition with the court under this chapter within [three] four working days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, after the date of the department's assumption of temporary foster custody of the child; or

(4) File a petition or ensure that a petition is filed by another appropriate authorized agency in court under this chapter."

SECTION 2. Section 587-24, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:

"(e) Within [three] four working days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays, after the date of its assumption of temporary foster custody, the department shall:

(1) Relinquish its temporary foster custody and return the child to the child's legal custodian and proceed pursuant to section 587-21(b)(1), (2), or (4);

(2) Continue its assumption of temporary foster custody of the child with the child being voluntarily placed in foster care by the child's legal custodian and proceed pursuant to section 587-21(b)(2) or (4); or

(3) Continue its assumption of temporary foster custody of the child and proceed pursuant to section 587-21(b)(3)."

SECTION 3. Section 587-40, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) The department or other appropriate authorized agency shall make every reasonable effort to submit written reports, or a written explanation regarding why a report is not being submitted timely, to the court with copies to the parties or their counsel or guardian ad litem:

(1) Within forty-eight hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, subsequent to the hour of the filing of a petition for temporary foster custody pursuant to section 587-21(b)(3);

(2) Upon the date of the filing of a petition pursuant to section 587-21(b)(4); and

(3) At least [fifteen] five days prior to the date set for each disposition, review, permanent plan, and permanent plan review hearing, until jurisdiction is terminated, unless a different period of time is ordered by the court or the court orders that no report is required for a specific hearing; or

(4) Prior to or upon the date of a hearing if the report is supplemental to a report that was submitted pursuant to paragraph (1), (2), or (3)."

SECTION 4. Section 587-51, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§587-51 Required findings concerning notice prior to a hearing in a child protective proceeding. (a) No hearing may commence under this chapter unless the court enters a finding that each of the parties required to be notified pursuant to section 587-32(a) has been served with a copy of the petition; provided that if a member or members of the child's family required to be notified pursuant to section 587-32(a) have not been served, the court may proceed to hear any child protective proceeding under this chapter and enter orders concerning the parties who have been served if the court is satisfied that:

(1) A reasonable effort has been made to effect personal service;

(2) It would not be in the best interests of the child to postpone the proceeding until service can be effectuated; and

(3) The child is represented by a guardian ad litem or counsel.

(b) If, at the return date hearing, it is established that a member or members of the child's family required to be notified pursuant to section 587-32(a) have not been served prior to the return date, the court shall:

(1) Ascertain and order the method of service of summons [which] that the court deems to be appropriate based upon the available information; and

(2) Set a continued return date; provided that:

(A) The court may waive the appearance of any party at the continued return date; and

(B) If the court orders that service of summons be made by mail or publication, the court shall set the continued return date not less than twenty-one days subsequent to the date of service, evidenced by the signature on a return receipt or the date of the last publication.

(c) Upon the continued return date, the court shall:

(1) Enter a default concerning a party who was served but failed to appear on the continued return date;

(2) Order the party who was served to appear on the date of the next scheduled hearing in the case; or

(3) If a member of the child's family required to be notified pursuant to section 587-32(a) was served and appears on the continued return date and moves the court that a prior order be vacated or modified, set the oral motion to vacate prior orders for a hearing and order that the moving party proceed to file a written motion and to serve the other parties with proper written notice of the motion and hearing date.

(d) In considering a party's motion to vacate or modify prior orders, the court need not commence a trial or hearing de novo, but rather, after such further hearing as the court deems to be appropriate, may proceed to enter such orders as are in the best interests of the child.

(e) The court shall hear child protective proceedings under this chapter at a hearing separate from those for adults and without a jury. The hearing shall be conducted in an informal manner and may be adjourned from time to time. The general public shall be excluded and only such persons shall be admitted as are found by the court to have a direct interest in the case. The child may be excluded from the hearing at any time at the discretion of the court. If a party is without counsel or a guardian ad litem, the court shall inform the party of the right to be represented by counsel and to appeal.

(f) Orders orally stated by the court on the record in a proceeding under this chapter shall have full force and effect upon the date of the hearing until further order of the court; provided that all oral orders shall be reduced to writing as soon as is practicable.

(g) The court shall make findings of fact and conclusions of law indicating the basis of harm whenever the court issues any order allowable under this chapter to any agency or individual without the prior filing of a petition under this chapter."

SECTION 5. Section 587-82, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§587-82 Fiscal responsibility. The court, the department, or other authorized agency shall provide only the care, service, treatment, or support, or the payment for care, service, treatment, or support, as is set forth in the budget or resources of the court, the department, or authorized agency and is authorized by law."

SECTION 6. Section 707-711, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) A person commits the offense of assault in the second degree if:

(a) The person intentionally or knowingly causes substantial bodily injury to another;

(b) The person recklessly causes serious bodily injury to another person;

(c) The person intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a correctional worker, as defined in section 710-1031(2), who is engaged in the performance of duty or who is within a correctional facility;

(d) The person intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to another person with a dangerous instrument; [or]

(e) The person intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to an educational worker who is engaged in the performance of duty or who is within an educational facility. For the purposes of this section, "educational worker" means any administrator, specialist, counselor, teacher, or employee of the department of education, or a person who is a volunteer in a school program, activity, or function that is established, sanctioned, or approved by the department of education or a person hired by the department of education on a contractual basis and engaged in carrying out an educational function[.]; or

(f) The person intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a child welfare social worker who is engaged in the performance of duty or as a result of the child welfare social worker's performance of duty."

SECTION 7. Section 707-716, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (1) to read as follows:

"(1) A person commits the offense of terroristic threatening in the first degree if the person commits terroristic threatening:

(a) By threatening another person on more than one occasion for the same or a similar purpose; [or]

(b) By threats made in a common scheme against different persons; [or]

(c) Against a public servant, including but not limited to an educational worker, who for the purposes of this section shall mean an administrator, specialist, counselor, teacher, or other employee of the department of education, or a volunteer as defined by section 90-1, in a school program, activity, or function that is established, sanctioned, or approved by the department of education, or a person hired by the department of education on a contractual basis and engaged in carrying out an educational function; [or]

(d) Against a child welfare social worker who is engaged in the performance of duty or as a result of the child welfare worker's performance of duty; or

[(d)] (e) With the use of a dangerous instrument."

SECTION 8. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun, before its effective date.

SECTION 9. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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