CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 137-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2018

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2277

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2277, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to establish the East Hawaii Child Welfare Services Pilot Project, a five-year pilot project, within the Department of Human Services to ensure the safety and well-being of at-risk children and families in east Hawaii on Hawaii island by:

 

     (1)  Limiting the number of children supervised by each east Hawaii Child Welfare Services Section social worker to twenty or fewer;

 

     (2)  Appropriating funds for hiring additional case managers, administrative costs for the east Hawaii Child Welfare Services Section on Hawaii island, and travel costs for the Child Welfare Services Division to train new hires;

 

     (3)  Appropriating funds for the cost of appointing guardians ad litem for minors and court-appointed legal counsel for parents of minors in child welfare cases in the third circuit; and

 

     (4)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to submit reports about the pilot project to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to each Regular Session until 2025.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing from the pilot project the six-month goal of limiting the number of children supervised by each east Hawaii Child Welfare Services Section social worker;

 

     (2)  Changing the appropriation for establishing additional positions, administrative costs for the east Hawaii Child Welfare Services Section on Hawaii island, and travel costs for the Child Welfare Services Division to train new hires by:

 

          (A)  Specifying the appropriation amount as $321,598;

 

          (B)  Changing the number of full-time equivalent positions from eight to four; and

 

          (C)  Changing the position title from case manager to child/adult protective services specialist;

 

     (3)  Removing the appropriation for the costs of appointing guardians ad litem for minors and court-appointed legal counsel for parents of minors in child welfare cases in the third circuit;

 

     (4)  Changing its effective date to upon approval, provided that the appropriation takes effect on July 1, 2018; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     Your Committee on Conference requests that the Department of Human Services submit to the Legislature a report on the status of filling the four full-time equivalent child/adult protective services specialist positions established by this Act, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2277, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2277, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN

Chair

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO

Co-Chair

____________________________

MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO

Co-Chair

 

____________________________

CHRIS TODD

Co-Chair

____________________________

STANLEY CHANG

Co-Chair