STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1374-26
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2026
RE: S.B. No. 2803
S.D. 1
H.D. 1
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2026
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 2803, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Require the Department of Human Services to submit a reorganization plan to the Legislature to consolidate the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions with the Homeless Programs Office under a single centralized entity;
(2) Specify the contents of the reorganization plan and the dates by which the draft and final plan and timeline for reorganization must be submitted to the Legislature;
(3) Require the consolidated entity to submit annual reports to the Legislature;
(4) Appropriate funds for certain homelessness programs and administration and operating expenses of the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness and Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions, respectively; and
(5) Authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds for the Kauhale Initiative and related capital improvement projects.
Your Committee finds that homelessness remains one of the most complex challenges facing the State. Continued investment in and support for critical programs for unsheltered individuals on Oahu and the administrative expenses required to manage these programs is therefore essential to addressing the homelessness crisis in Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that this measure will allow the State to continue its partnership with the City and County of Honolulu in addressing homelessness, ensure the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions can continue its statewide policy and planning mandates, and will support the development of additional or expanded kauhale sites, thus demonstrating the Legislature's ongoing commitment to implementing innovative solutions to ending homelessness in Hawaii.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Amending the contents of the data sharing and collaboration plan to include a continuum of housing solutions aligned with the continuum of behavioral health care needs;
(2) Requiring the Coordinator on Homelessness to include in the Coordinator's annual report to the Legislature additional performance metrics that include whether placements are appropriately matched to service needs;
(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and
(4) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider:
(1) $8,000,000 for management contracts with the City and County of Honolulu, and any subcontracted partners, for the Homeless Outreach and Navigation for Unsheltered Persons Program and Aʻala Medical Respite Program;
(2) $308,000 for the administration of the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness and the operating budget of the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions; and
(3) $10,100,000 in general obligation bonds for the Kauhale Initiative development project and related capital improvement projects.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2803, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2803, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Homelessness,
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____________________________ LISA MARTEN, Chair |
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