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Bill > SR166


HI SR166

HI SR166
Urging The Legislature To Conduct Mandatory Inquiries Into All Fatalities And Serious Injuries That Occurred To Children Involved In Child Welfare Services.


summary

Introduced
03/07/2025
In Committee
03/12/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2025 Regular Session

Bill Summary

RESOLUTION urging the LEGISLATURE to conduct mandatory inquiries into all fatalities and serious injuries that occurred to children involved in child welfare services.

AI Summary

This resolution urges the Hawaii Legislature to conduct mandatory inquiries into child fatalities and serious injuries involving Child Welfare Services (CWS), prompted by a troubling history of systemic failures that have resulted in numerous preventable tragedies. The resolution highlights over nineteen child fatalities and serious injury cases since 1997, with millions of dollars paid in lawsuits, and details specific incidents involving children who were harmed or killed despite CWS involvement. The proposed mandatory inquiries would require comprehensive reviews of systemic failures, including communication breakdowns, social worker inexperience, procedural failures, and resource inadequacies, with the ultimate goals of ensuring transparency, accountability, and establishing safeguards to protect children under the Department of Human Services' care. The resolution specifically calls for the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and the House Committee on Human Services and Homelessness to conduct these investigations, with the intent of developing preventative measures and potentially enacting new laws that mirror transparency practices in states like Colorado, ultimately aiming to restore public trust and prevent future child welfare tragedies.

Committee Categories

Health and Social Services

Sponsors (4)

Last Action

Referred to HHS, WAM. (on 03/12/2025)

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