Bill > SB710

This bill establishes a Child Welfare Task Force within the Department of Human Services to develop strategies for transforming Hawaii's child welfare system. The task force is motivated by a 2024 state audit that revealed significant compliance and monitoring issues in child welfare services, as well as recommendations from the Malama Ohana Working Group. The task force will include key state officials such as the executive director of the Office of Wellness and Resilience (who will serve as chairperson), the attorney general, directors of human services and human resources development, the insurance commissioner, and members of the Malama Ohana Working Group. Task force members will serve without compensation but will be reimbursed for expenses, and they are required to submit a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than twenty days before the 2026 legislative session. The Department of Human Services is mandated to fully cooperate with the task force, providing requested information and support, and the bill appropriates state general revenues to fund the task force's activities. Although the bill is technically set to take effect on December 31, 2050, its immediate purpose is to address current systemic challenges in child welfare services by creating a mechanism for comprehensive review and potential reform.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=710&year=2026