STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1858

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1366

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1366, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the return-to-home pilot program.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the Department of Human Services to:

(A) Coordinate the return-to-home pilot program to help reunite eligible homeless individuals with their families and relatives in the homeless individuals' home states; and

(B) Contract with eligible nonprofit organizations, for‑profit organizations, or foundations to administer the pilot program;

(2) Establishes restrictions on participation in the pilot program; and

(3) Appropriates moneys to the Department of Human Services to establish a full-time equivalent planner position to draft rules, procure services, and oversee the return‑to-home pilot program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, The Institute for Human Services, and numerous individuals.

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

Your Committee finds that helping homeless individuals return to their home states will help to address homelessness in Hawaii while helping to end each program participant's cycle of homelessness.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the number of full-time equivalent positions established from one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position to an unspecified number; and

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

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 H.B. No. 1366, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1366, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair