SB 1228 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.

Summary

Establishes a working group for legal services for youth in the child welfare system within the Judiciary. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds for the working group. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Last action Feb 14, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB1228 → SB1228_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill establishes a working group to improve legal services for youth in Hawaii's child welfare system. The main changes include expanding the working group membership to include representatives from the Domestic Violence Action Center, clarifying that some members must be invited by co-chairs, and significantly delaying the effective date of the Act from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2050.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on child welfare legal services, but membership requirements were clarified to require invitations from co-chairs for several positions.

TIMELINE

The effective date was changed from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2050, which appears to be an error or placeholder date that would delay implementation indefinitely.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that representatives from the Domestic Violence Action Center must be invited by the working group co-chairs.

Clarified that several working group members (guardian ad litem, malama ohana representatives, HI H.O.P.E.S. representative, and lived experience experts) must be invited by the co-chairs rather than serving automatically.

Replaced the requirement for a parent representative with lived experience to be invited by co-chairs, maintaining the lived experience requirement but changing the selection process.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from HHS/JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 642) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Gabbard, Chang, San Buenaventura, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Hashimoto, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Keohokalole.

upper

Feb 5, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HHS/JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 02-13-25 9:00AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Committee

Referred to HHS/JDC, WAM.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

2 primary · 1 co-sponsor