STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1216

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

 

RE:   S.B. No. 422

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 422, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD VISITATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify requirements and procedures for a family court order granting visitation rights to grandparents.

 

Specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Requires a finding that denial of reasonable visitation would cause significant harm to the child;

 

(2)  Establishes a rebuttable presumption that a parent's decision regarding visitation is in the best interest of the child;

 

(3)  Provides that in awarding reasonable grandparent visitation, the court shall apply the same standards, consideration, and procedures for parent visitation under existing state law; and

 

(4)  Specifies that violation of the terms and conditions of an order awarding reasonable grandparent visitation rights may be prosecuted as contempt of court in accordance with existing state law.

 

     An individual testified in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing its effective date to January 7, 2070, to facilitate further discussion; and

 

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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. 422, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 422, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair