STAND. COM. REP. NO. 394

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 445

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 445, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD SUPPORT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Human Services to convene a working group to examine issues related to allowing child support payments to pass through to recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program funds and submit a joint report before the Regular Session of 2025.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and Zonta Club of Hilo. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!.

Your Committee finds that under the current process, whenever the Department of Human Services provides Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program funds for the benefit of a dependent child, the Department of the Attorney General's Child Support Enforcement Agency is required to collect child support payments from the absent or non-custodial parent for reimbursement to the federal government and Department of Human Services. This measure will allow the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Human Services, and community stakeholders to discuss improvements to the departments' systems and processes to better assist recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program funds.

Your Committee has amended this measure by requiring the working group to be dissolved on June 30, 2025.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 445, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 445, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair