STAND. COM. REP. NO. 346

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 450

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. 450 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Human Services, when determining income eligibility for child care subsidies, to consider certain special circumstances that cause the monthly gross income of a parent, guardian, or other responsible party to exceed the eligible monthly gross income.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and one individual.

Your Committee finds that special circumstances, such as the retroactive payment of workers' compensation or temporary disability insurance benefits to a child's parent, guardian, or other responsible party, may affect the monthly gross income of the parent, guardian, or other responsible party, sometimes causing their monthly gross income to exceed the income eligibility requirements for child care subsidies. Your Committee believes that these special circumstances must be considered so as to not inadvertently deny a child financial support for which the child's family is eligible under normal circumstances.

Your Committee notes that the Department of Human Services will be working with your Committee to determine if retroactive workers' compensation and temporary disability insurance benefits should be considered non-reoccurring lump sum payments and therefore excluded as monthly income for eligibility determinations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

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. 450, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 450, 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