STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1662-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.R. No. 117

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.R. No. 117 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO IMMEDIATELY CEASE INTERCEPTING SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Human Services to immediately cease intercepting social security payments for children in foster care.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that children in foster care are in critical need of support, including emotional and financial support. Your Committee also finds that the State uses the social security benefits of foster care children to help pay for the cost of their foster care, which may leave foster care children without a safety net or a small safety net as adults. This measure requests the Department of Human Services to stop using social security payments for children in foster care and instead deposit the social security payments into savings accounts that foster care children can access when they return to their families, are adopted, or age-out of foster care.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 117, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 117, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair