STAND. COM. REP. NO. 604

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1620

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1620 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STATE FUNDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide treatment services for child victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Judiciary, Family and Therapeutic Services and the Safe and Sound program of Catholic Charities Hawaii, and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that helping child victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse receive the mental health treatment they need is an important component of victim advocacy. This measure appropriates the necessary funds for intrafamilial sexual abuse treatment services. Specifically, the services include psychological treatment and case management services for child victims and their families who are not covered under the child protective services system of the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amount from $200,000 to $314,381 to add an additional therapist and outreach worker. The two positions will allow the Safe and Sound program to increase its services by fifty per cent, which amounts to approximately seventy-five to one hundred additional clients per year; and

(2) Appropriating the same sum for fiscal year 2006-2007.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1620, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1620, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair