STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2543

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3293

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3293 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ASSISTANCE FOR PERSONS COMPLETING A TERM OF IMPRISONMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a four-year pilot program within the Department of Human Services to provide housing and child care vouchers for a period of up to two years to persons leaving incarceration, provided that certain eligibility requirements are met.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and two individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that the number of incarcerated women has skyrocketed and that the rate at which women are incarcerated now exceeds that of incarcerated men. Your Committees also find that the circumstances of entry into correctional facilities, offense patterns, and levels of risk for female inmates differ from those of male inmates. Therefore, your Committees believe that targeted approaches, including gender-responsible practices, are required to improve outcomes of female inmates by providing some form of support during the process of reentering society to ensure a successful transition and long-term success. The pilot program established by this measure provides support to female inmates as they prepare for reentry, while addressing their unique characteristics, needs, and barriers to success, by providing temporary assistance in the form of housing and child care vouchers; provided that the assistance will be provided to all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria regardless of their sex or gender identity.

Your Committees note that S.B. No. 2775 (Regular Session of 2022), which was deferred by your Committees, sought to establish a recidivism prevention pilot program that included an income tax credit for employers that hire qualifying individuals who completed their terms at correctional facilities. Your Committees find that this measure should also include the income tax credit.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Including in the four-year pilot program, an income tax credit for taxpayers who employ qualified program participants; and

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

Your Committees request that the Department of Public Safety and Department of Human Services collaborate to ensure that there is a "warm handoff" of individuals who complete their terms in correctional facilities from the Department of Public Safety to other agencies, including the Department of Human Services, that can help them integrate back into the community.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3293, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3293, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair