THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2861
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF WELLNESS AND RESILIENCE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the State has accumulated an estimated $470,000,000 in unspent temporary assistance for needy families program funding with approximately $333,000,000 in encumbrances on that funding. These moneys are required to be spent on needy families that meet the eligibility requirements of the temporary assistance for needy families program.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to require the office of wellness and resilience, in consultation with the department of human services, to develop a comprehensive plan for the establishment of a kakou pilot program to support families and children in need.

SECTION 2. (a) The office of wellness and resilience, in consultation with the department of human services, shall develop a comprehensive plan for the establishment of a kakou pilot program to support families and children in need.

(b) For the purposes of the kakou pilot program, the office of wellness and resilience shall create a plan to:

(1) Provide services for children in need, including child wellness visits;

(2) Distribute food boxes to eligible families, as needed;

(3) Provide counseling and related support services to eligible families with a focus on families exiting a foster family placement and other at-risk children as determined by the plan;

(4) Administer trauma-informed care services to eligible families and children at risk of neglect; and

(5) Provide any other related services to support families and children in need in accordance with this Act.

(c) The office of wellness and resilience may adopt policies and procedures necessary to develop the plan for the kakou pilot program and carry out the purposes of this Act.

(d) The office of wellness and resilience shall submit a preliminary report of its comprehensive plan to develop the kakou pilot program, including any proposed legislation, a recommended implementation structure identifying the administering agency or agencies, and recommendations on whether the program should be established, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2027, and shall submit a final report of its plan to the legislature no later than June 30, 2027.

(e) The planning period for the kakou pilot program shall expire on June 30, 2027.

(f) For the purposes of this Act, "eligible families" means families who meet eligibility criteria for the temporary assistance for needy families program, as determined by the department of human services, or any other families meeting standards and requirements recommended by the office of wellness and resilience in its comprehensive plan and approved by the administering agency or agencies; provided that such standards shall comply with applicable federal requirements.

SECTION 3. Beginning July 1, 2028, the agency or agencies identified pursuant to Section 2(d) may expend temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) funds for the purposes of the kakou pilot program, including $130,000 per year for an external evaluator to conduct data collection and to assess whether the kakou pilot program meets at least one of the purposes of the temporary assistance for needy families program and whether the kakou pilot program effectively addresses that purpose.

SECTION 4. If any part of this Act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition for the allocation of federal funds to the State, the conflicting part of this Act shall be inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with respect to the agencies directly affected, and this finding shall not affect the operation of the remainder of this Act in its application to the agencies concerned.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

Report Title:

OWR; DHS; Comprehensive Plan; Kakou Pilot Program; Families and Children in Need; Eligible Families; Administering Agency; TANF

Description:

Requires the Office of Wellness and Resilience, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, to develop a comprehensive plan by 6/30/2027 for the establishment of a Kakou Pilot Program to support families and children in need. Requires the Office to submit preliminary and final reports to the Legislature on the plan and identify an administering agency or agencies for the pilot program. Authorizes the administering agency or agencies to expend Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program funds for the purposes of the Kakou Pilot Program. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

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