CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 137

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1366

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1366, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Human Services to establish and coordinate a voluntary three-year Return-to-Home Pilot Program (Pilot Program) to assist eligible homeless individuals in reuniting with families and relatives in their home states;

(2) Appropriate funds for the implementation of the pilot program and require the funds to be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by a nonprofit organization, for-profit organization, or private foundation; and

(3) Appropriate funds to establish an unspecified number of planner positions within the Department of Human Services to oversee the Pilot Program.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness to assist with the implementation of the Pilot Program;

(2) Inserting a sunset date of January 1, 2026, for the Pilot Program;

(3) Inserting an appropriation amount of $100,000 to implement the Pilot Program and deleting the dollar-for-dollar matching funds requirement;

(4) Deleting the appropriation for planner positions;

(5) Adding the requisite information for making an appropriation in excess of the general fund expenditure ceiling pursuant to article VII, section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution and sections 37-91 and 37-93, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(6) Updating the purpose section;

(7) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2023; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1366, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1366, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ SHARON MORIWAKI Chair	____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO Co-Chair
____________________________ CHRIS LEE Co-Chair	____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI Co-Chair
	____________________________ BERTRAND KOBAYASHI Co-Chair