STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1354-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2150

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Housing and Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 2150, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize and appropriate funds for the Department of Human Services to provide additional housing assistance subsidies of up to $500 per month to recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families, who participate in the First-To-Work Program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Zonta Club of Hilo; Save Medicaid Hawaii; AAUW of Hawaii; Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!; Catholic Charities Hawai‘i; Partners In Care; HOPE Services Hawai‘i, Inc.; and two individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Human Services, Department of Budget and Finance, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, State Procurement Office, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committees find nearly one-third of renter households in the State are severely housing cost-burdened, meaning that over half of their monthly income goes to rent and utilities. This measure provides a shallow rental subsidy of $500 per month that is targeted to First-To-Work participants. A shallow rental subsidy will reduce the housing cost burden for low-income families working to transition off public assistance, as well as prevent homelessness or reentry into homelessness.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the exemption for the expenditure of funds for the administration of housing assistance subsidies from the Hawaii Public Procurement Code and purchases of health and human services law; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2150, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2150, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ NADINE K. NAKAMURA, Chair