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Other HCAN Agenda Bills - not in our core education realm
Economic Security and Equity for Children
Paid Family & Medical Leave
(HB 755, HB 695, SB 852, SB 1054)
We know families in Hawai‘i are strongest when we have time to heal from serious illness or injury, welcome a new child, or help a loved one recover or ease their passing. Everyone should be able to take time off to care for themselves or a loved one without risking their job or paycheck. Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) provides working ‘ohana with paid time off from work to care for and bond with a new keiki, or to care for their own serious health needs or those of a loved one. The United States is the only developed nation without national PFML. To fill that gap, thirteen states and the District of Columbia have passed PFML laws. Hawai‘i should join them. This bill would create a statewide PFML program for Hawai‘i. Lead: Paid Leave Hawai‘i Coalition
Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Fix (HB 753)
With the average cost of preschool in Hawai‘i over $13,000 per year, our working families need more help with their child care expenses. In 2023 our lawmakers took an important first step to boost the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) by quadrupling the maximum *amount* that taxpayers can claim for child and dependent care expenses. But there’s also a cap on the *percent* of care expenses that can be claimed with the CDCTC, and that percent is so low that it is nearly impossible for families to access the new higher CDCTC amounts that were passed in 2023. This bill would increase the CDCTC percent cap, allowing working families to get more badly-needed help with their child care costs. Lead: Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!
Pre-K to 12 Education
Contracted Child Care Programs (HB 241)
The proposed legislation seeks to remove poverty from the state’s statutory definition of child maltreatment. The purpose of this proposal is to prevent the removal of children from their families solely due to poverty or economic instability, as families who are financially unable to provide for their children should not be referred to Child Welfare Services (CWS) if there is no further evidence of child maltreatment. Instead of CWS involvement, there should be equitable pathways to assist families experiencing poverty and economic instability. The inability to afford basic material needs, secure adequate housing, or pay for childcare should be met with support and services rather than removal. Several U.S. states have already clarified that poverty should not be the sole or primary basis for child removal, and a growing body of research shows improved outcomes for families when states separate poverty and neglect. Lead: Hawai'i Children's Action Network Speaks!
Health and Wellness for Children
Water Safety and Swim Lessons in DOE Schools (HB 1234, SB 1223)
This bill would fund water safety and swim lessons in DOE schools with a pilot project and a plan to scale statewide. It would start with first or second grade and focus on lifetime skills. Less than 2% of our second graders have the skills to avoid or recover from a dangerous aquatics situation. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children in Hawaii ages 1-15. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are disproportionately affected. Also this is an equity issue, most families cannot afford or arrange for lessons. In-school lessons are called for in the US National Water Safety Action Plan. A former non-profit, Hawaii Aquatics Foundation, successfully offered in-school lessons on 4 islands for several years before pausing due to lack of funding. Their standards-aligned curriculum and student assessments are still available. Lead: Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition
End the Sale of All Flavored Tobacco Products (HB 756, HB 1116, SB 972, SB 1435)
On average, 1,400 people die every year in Hawai‘i from a tobacco-related illness, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the State. 95% of tobacco smokers start before the age of 21, 8 in 10 people who have ever tried a tobacco product started with a flavored product, and 97 percent of youth who vape use flavored products. The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i Youth Council believes that ending the sale of all flavored tobacco in Hawai‘i would help break the cycle of nicotine addiction resulting in decreasing the number of preventable tobacco-related deaths by limiting the number of youth that starting to use these products. It would also encourage current users to quit. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are disproportionately impacted due to the predatory marketing of the tobacco industry making this not just a public health issue but a social justice issue as well. Lead: Hawai‘i Public Health Institute
End Diaper Need (HB 1335, SB 1534)
Establishing a general excise tax exemption for the gross proceeds or income from the manufacture, production, packaging, and sale of diapers in the State of Hawai'i, would be a small step in the right direction towards economic stability for Hawai'i families. One in two families across the country struggle with affording enough diapers to keep their keiki clean, dry, and healthy. This diaper need contributes to the cycle of poverty and oftentimes results in a loss of income. 25% of parents experiencing diaper need reported having to miss work or school because they did not have enough diapers to drop their child off at childcare. These parents reported missing on average, 5 workdays in the past 30 days (representing a loss of $296 per month). There are approximately 27,000 children under the age of 6 who are low-income (200% Federal Poverty Level) in Hawai'i. Unlike other important resources, there is no federal or state assistance allocated for purchasing diapers. As a result, the average low-income family pays $1,000 per year for diapers per child. For some, this is up to 14% of their after-tax income. Lead: Hawai'i Diaper Bank
Child Safety and Welfare
Separating Poverty and Neglect (HB 239, SB 1104)
The proposed legislation seeks to remove poverty from the state’s statutory definition of child maltreatment. The purpose of this proposal is to prevent the removal of children from their families solely due to poverty or economic instability, as families who are financially unable to provide for their children should not be referred to Child Welfare Services (CWS) if there is no further evidence of child maltreatment. Instead of CWS involvement, there should be equitable pathways to assist families experiencing poverty and economic instability. The inability to afford basic material needs, secure adequate housing, or pay for childcare should be met with support and services rather than removal. Several U.S. states have already clarified that poverty should not be the sole or primary basis for child removal, and a growing body of research shows improved outcomes for families when states separate poverty and neglect. Lead: Prevent Child Abuse HI, a program of Hawaii Children's Action Network
Domestic Violence Expert for Child Welfare
When domestic violence issues arise in a family and there are also child abuse and neglect issues, the assessment and services provided must address both issues. At present, the assessment tools that inform safety determinations when there is child abuse and neglect and when there is domestic violence do not align, causing mixed and potentially dangerous decision making. There is a critical need for expertise relating to domestic violence in all child welfare units at Child Welfare Services. But programs to bring this expertise have not been successful. What is needed is a focused alignment of strategies, programs, assessment tools and protocols. We are asking for an action group made up of individuals with lived experience as survivors of domestic violence in the child welfare system, as well as stakeholders in the child welfare services branch, law enforcement, the family court, and providers of services in domestic violence and child welfare, to develop aligned tools and protocols, and to implement a program that will not address the needs of these children and families and provide effective solutions to improve outcomes for the children and families. Lead: Pilina Pathways LLC
Right to Counsel for Youth in Foster Care (HB 900, HB 1381, SB 1228)
This legislation advances the right to client-directed counsel for youth in child welfare cases. The proposal includes a study, planning, and pilot period of up to three years. Child welfare proceedings determine nearly every critical aspect of a child’s life, including where and with whom they live, whether and how they see their parents and siblings, where they attend school, and how long they remain in state custody. Youth in Hawai’i foster care often face terrible – and sometimes tragic – outcomes. Hawai’i is one of just a few states that has not yet enacted this right, which has been shown to improve outcomes for youth in foster care and help them thrive. Children have essential legal rights at stake in these cases. Attorneys can advise and represent youth in sharing their experiences, wants, and needs; improve the court’s comprehensive decision making; and empower youth to participate in decisions about their lives and futures. Lead: National Center for Youth Law (Hawai'i office)
Mental Health - Increased funding (HB 112, HB 683, SB 864, SB 787, SB 1445)
Increasing funding for mental health services is a top priority for the youth who attended the 2024 Hawaii Children and Youth Summit. A Hawaiʻi Department of Health report estimates that 11,000 of Hawaiʻi’s youth experienced at least one major depressive episode in the prior year. Of those who experienced a major depressive episode, approximately 6,000 did not receive mental health services. 23% of middle school students report that their mental health was poor most of the time or always “not good” in the prior 30 days. TeenLink Hawaiʻi 2,000 site visits on average each month. The top topics/pages visited include Suicide; Stress; Mental Health; and Self-Care. Lead: Hawai'i Youth Services Network
Sex Offender Registration HRS846 (HB 384, SB 277)
Offenders convicted of a single Sexual Assault 4 (misdemeanor sexual touching) against a minor age 16-18, are subject to sex offender registration but the conviction is NOT public. Any sexual assault conviction against a child should be accessible by the public regardless of the age of child and regardless of the level of the offense. It's still a sexual assault committed against a minor child. Also adding to sex offender registration laws, sexual assaults committed against minors while acting in their professional capacity. Lead: The Sex Abuse Treatment Center
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