STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3198

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3293

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3293, S.D. 1, 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 pilot program to provide:

(1) Housing and child care vouchers for a period of up to two years to persons leaving incarceration; provided that certain eligibility requirements are met; and

(2) Income tax credits for taxpayers who employ qualified program participants to incentivize employers to hire persons leaving incarceration, to assist in the rehabilitation process.

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

Your Committees find that the number of women in the criminal justice system has skyrocketed and that the rates of women's incarceration exceed those of men. Your Committees believe that one way to support women inmates as they prepare for reentry, while addressing their unique characteristics, needs, and barriers to success, is to provide temporary assistance in the form of housing and child care vouchers. This measure will assist female inmates preparing for reentry by establishing a pilot program to provide housing and child care vouchers for a period of up to two years to persons leaving incarceration if certain eligibility requirements are met and income tax credits for taxpayers who employ qualified program participants.

Your Committees have amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 30, 2075, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3293, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3293, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair