Bill > HB1382

This bill addresses improvements to child welfare services' response to domestic violence by establishing three key initiatives. First, the bill mandates specialized comprehensive domestic violence training for different Child Welfare Services (CWS) staff roles, including universal screening for violence exposure and staff training in case management and safety planning. Second, the bill creates a tracking system to monitor domestic violence cases, helping identify patterns and inform future policy. Third, the bill requires automatic referral of identified domestic violence cases to a non-profit domestic violence specialist, who will be physically located in CWS branch offices to provide immediate support and collaboration. The legislation stems from recommendations by the Malama Ohana working group, which sought to transform Hawaii's child welfare system to be more trauma-informed and responsive to family needs. In 2024, CWS received approximately 501 reports involving children experiencing domestic violence, with 108 confirmed child victims, highlighting the importance of these proposed interventions. The bill appropriates funding for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to support training, on-site specialists, and implementation of these new approaches to handling domestic violence within child welfare cases.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services, Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1382&year=2026