Bill Text: HI HB1477 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Family Justice Center Task Force

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-12-01 - Carried over to 2012 Regular Session. [HB1477 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-HB1477-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO.  183

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1477

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1477 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY JUSTICE CENTERS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish one or more Family Justice Centers to assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, or human trafficking, as well as to provide family-based social services.  In establishing a Family Justice Center, DHS shall, among other things:

    

(1)  Engage in a strategic planning process to identify services that are most needed and develop a comprehensive funding strategy;

 

(2)  Develop an informed consent process to authorize sharing of information between individuals or agencies working in a center that includes immunity from being civilly liable for information shared with others in accordance with the informed consent policy; and

 

(3)  Allow a Family Justice Center to provide non-identifying, aggregate data on clients to the National Family Justice Center Alliance for statistical purposes that includes an immunity clause from being civilly liable for maintaining this information.

 

     A concerned individual testified in support of this bill.  DHS supports the intent of this bill.  The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Domestic Violence Action Center, and Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence testified in opposition to this bill.  The Hawaii Family Law Clinic provided comments.

 

     Your Committee finds that before statutorily authorizing DHS to establish one or more Family Justice Centers, that the matter first be scoped out with input from stakeholders due to prudence and the conservation of limited resources.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by substituting a substantial portion of its contents with provisions that authorize DHS to establish a Family Justice Center Task Force (Task Force), which terminates on June 30, 2012, to consider the establishment of Family Justice Centers with the same mission as set forth in the bill as received by your Committee.  Among other things, the amendments:

    

(1)  Establish the Task Force membership make up of executive department and agency heads, county and judicial representatives, and other stakeholders;

 

(2)  Require the Task Force to coordinate with state and county agencies and local nonprofit service providers to identify those services that are most needed;

 

(3)  Require the Task Force to identify all funding sources for the establishment of the Family Justice Centers;

 

(4)  Require the Task Force to develop an informed consent process to authorize the sharing of confidential, privileged, or protected information between individuals or agencies working in a center; and

 

(5)  Require the Task Force to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the 2012 Regular Session.

 

     Your Committee also amended the bill as received by your Committee by:

 

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage 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 H.B. No. 1477, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1477, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

		____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair