STAND. COM. REP. NO. 347

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 438

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 438 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO YOUTH PROGRAMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Pacific Youth Program Coordinator Position within the Department of Health's Office of Youth Services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Youth Services, Opportunity Youth Action Hawai‘i, Filipinos for Affirmative Action, Hawai‘i Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Hawai‘i Friends of Civil Rights, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the Office of Youth Services of the Department of Health provides and coordinates a continuum of services and programs for at-risk youth to prevent delinquency and reduce the incidence of recidivism. Your Committee further finds that Pacific Islander youth are overrepresented within the State's social, behavioral, and health systems, including the juvenile justice system and the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility. Your Committee also finds that there is a lack of awareness of and coordination for programs and services in the State, especially for programs that work with Pacific Islander youth and their families.

Your Committee notes that the Office of Youth Services procured a contract in 2019 to address the lack of awareness of existing programs and services. However, this contract was terminated in 2020 due to lack of funding. The Office of Youth Services no longer has the funding to coordinate between the various youth services programs or facilitate awareness outreach efforts. This measure will address these gaps and provide needed service coordination.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $218,566 for the one permanent full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Children and Youth Program Specialist V position, plus program and administrative costs.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 438, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 438, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair