STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1106-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2840

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2840, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE GENERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide flexibility to the Department of Human Services in providing general assistance by allowing it to draw from other funds appropriated to the Department to offset budget shortfalls for general assistance benefit payments caused by an increase in the number of general assistance recipients.

The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Human Services provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2080, to facilitate further discussion; and

(2)  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 Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2840, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2840, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair