Legislative Management Committee passes child-welfare reporting bill, clears two other measures and defers tourism bill

The House Committee on Legislative Management on Wednesday, Feb. 5, approved three bills with amendments and deferred a fourth, moving House Bill 640 (child welfare) forward after brief testimony from the state ombudsman.

Robin Matsunaga, state ombudsman, testified in support of HB 640 and told the committee she would “stand on my written testimony” but was available to answer questions. The committee then worked with the bill’s introducer and adopted amendments that remove a training appropriation and training funding requirement, keep a reporting requirement but revise how the “nature of the complaint” is defined, retain an obligation for Child Welfare Services (CWS) to notify families of their right to complain to the ombudsman, and delete the bill’s appropriation.

Why it matters: The committee’s changes preserve a reporting pathway and notice requirement tied to complaints about CWS while removing funding and training provisions the committee chose not to advance. Those changes narrow the bill’s implementation requirements to reporting and notice rather than adding a funded training program.

Details of the committee’s actions - House Bill 640 (relating to child welfare): The committee removed the requirement to fund training and deleted the appropriation originally in the bill; it retained a reporting requirement but revised the statutory language so that the “nature of the complaint” is defined by the relationship between the complainant and CWS and the CWS service being complained about. The committee also retained a requirement that CWS notify families of their right to complain to the ombudsman.

- House Bill 792 (relating to government services): The committee adopted amendments that change the bill’s date language (the committee deferred the bill’s date in committee discussion) and passed the bill with those amendments.

- House Bill 875 (relating to tourism): The committee deferred HB 875 indefinitely after noting the Legislative Reference Bureau’s comments and saying it would seek a different approach to address tour-guide access to the State Capitol. The committee stated it would work with the bill’s introducer on alternatives such as a resolution or other nonlegislative solution.

- House Bill 1425 (relating to the legislature): The committee made technical amendments for clarity, consistency and style and changed the bill’s date language; it passed HB 1425 with those amendments.

Votes at a glance - HB 640 — Passed with amendments. Recorded votes in committee: committee chair (aye), vice chair (aye), Representative Ichiyama (aye), Representative Morikawa (aye), Representative Matsumoto (aye). Outcome: passed with amendments. - HB 792 — Passed with amendments. Recorded votes in committee: committee chair (aye), vice chair (aye). Outcome: passed with amendments. - HB 875 — Deferred indefinitely. Outcome: tabled/held. - HB 1425 — Passed with amendments. Recorded votes in committee: committee chair (aye), vice chair (aye). Outcome: passed with amendments.

Procedure and next steps: For the three bills the committee passed, the measures will proceed according to the legislature’s scheduling rules (first reading/second reading/amendment/house floor steps as applicable). For HB 875 the committee indicated it will pursue alternative, nonlegislative options with the bill’s introducer rather than advance the current draft.

The committee adjourned following the votes.