STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2705

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2150

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2150, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize and appropriate moneys for the Department of Human Services to provide additional housing assistance subsidies to recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families benefits who participate in the First-to-Work program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Partners in Care, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Neighborhood Place of Kona, Hawaii Appleseed, Hawaii Habitat for Humanity, and one individual.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and State Procurement Office.

Your Committee finds that this measure will help reduce homelessness, childhood poverty, and economic stress by providing housing security for vulnerable families while the families prepare for, accept, and retain employment through the First-to-Work program.

Your Committee notes the objection by the State Procurement Office to provisions in the measure that exempt the expenditure of funds for the administration of housing assistance subsidies from Chapters 103D and 103F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and its recommendation to delete the exemption language from the measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amounts to unspecified sums; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2150, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2150, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair