SB 710 Hawaii Senate · 2026 Regular Session

RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE.

Summary

Establishes the Child Welfare Task Force to develop strategies and policy changes to transform and improve the State's child welfare system. Requires support from the Department of Human Services. Requires a report to the Legislature. Appropriates funds. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Dec 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB710 → SB710_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill establishes a Child Welfare Task Force to improve Hawaii's child welfare system following audit findings and recommendations from the Malama Ohana Working Group. The primary changes involve reorganizing the task force's membership to include state agency directors rather than legislative committee chairs, adjusting the appropriation amount to be determined by the legislature, and significantly delaying the effective date of the Act to December 31, 2050.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on establishing a task force, but the composition of the task force has changed from a bipartisan legislative committee model to an executive-led model involving agency directors.

REQUIREMENT

Task force membership was changed from legislative committee chairs to include the executive director of the Office of Wellness and Resilience as chairperson, along with directors of Human Services, Human Resources Development, and the Insurance Commissioner.

FISCAL

The specific appropriation amount of $300,000 was removed and replaced with a blank line, indicating the amount will be determined by the legislature.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the Act was changed from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2050.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting updates were made to the bill header, including changing the bill type from 'SB' to 'SD' and updating the legislative session reference.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 626) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Hashimoto, Keohokalole, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 02-10-25 1:20PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Committee

Referred to HHS, WAM.

upper

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

9 primary · 0 co-sponsors