STAND. COM. REP. NO.  325-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2298

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2298 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NOTICE TO CHILDREN PURSUANT TO THE CHILD PROTECTIVE ACT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to provide a more supportive and child-friendly way of notifying minors of hearings under the Child Protective Act.  This measure requires the petitioner to notify the child 24 hours in advance of a hearing instead of the current requirement that a summons be served by a law enforcement officer, which may be frightening and confusing to a child or embarrassing if it occurs at school.

 

     The Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Human Services supported this bill.  The Judiciary provided comments on this bill.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by increasing the notice time to 48 hours from 24 hours for all hearings other than those for temporary foster custody.

 

     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 H.B. No. 2298, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2298, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair