STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1218-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 3120

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 3120, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the position of Housing Policy and Program Coordinator in the Hawaii Public Housing Authority;

(2) Clarify that the employment of certain positions and the adjustment of their salaries are authorized by the Executive Director of Hawaii Public Housing Authority and not the Board of Directors; and

(3) Repeal the wage ceiling requirement for positions in the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that the federal government created numerous rule changes through the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act and Fair Housing Act. In addition, there is the pending implementation of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate to assist in improving low-income public housing quality and the health and safety of public housing tenants. Your Committee believes that these new and future policy and program changes will need to be effectively and efficiently researched, coordinated, implemented, and monitored by an expert, such as a Housing Policy and Program Coordinator.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the Executive Director of Hawaii Public Housing Authority shall set the salaries of certain positions to the extent that the Board of Directors delegates this authority to the Executive Director;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3120, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3120, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

____________________________

LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair