HI HB330

Establishes the Malama Ohana Working Group within the Office of Wellness and Resilience to develop recommendations for transformative changes to Hawaii's child welfare system.

Working group membership includes representatives from EPIC Ohana (co-chair), Hale Kipa (co-chair), Department of Human Services child welfare branch, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools, Liliuokalani Trust, former foster youth, birth parents, resource caregivers, and kinship caregivers.

Working group shall conduct statewide meetings, develop recommendations on workforce training, identify best practices including Native Hawaiian cultural practices, and collaborate with the trauma-informed care task force.

Requires working group to submit findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the 2025 regular session, then dissolve upon adjournment.

Appropriates $250,000 for fiscal year 2023-2024 and $250,000 for fiscal year 2024-2025 to fund the working group and contract with an administrative facilitator, effective July 1, 2023.