STAND. COM. REP. NO. 66-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2114

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 H.B. No. 2114 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a Hawaii benefits hub to act as a central portal to assist residents applying for state managed benefits.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations; Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association; and AlohaCare. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Enterprise Technology Services.

Your Committee finds that as federal requirements for some federal social assistance programs continue to change, Hawaii residents are expected to face increased challenges in accessing social assistance program benefits and maintaining their enrollment in these programs. Your Committee further finds that the Office of Enterprise Technology Services has the tools and ability to create a Hawaii benefits hub that would offer a centralized, technology-based repository that can help reduce confusion, minimize duplicative processes, and improve efficiency and accuracy for residents, state agencies, and nonprofit service providers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the role of the Department of Human Services and its attached agencies as collaborative partners of the benefits hub;

(2) Expanding the responsibilities of the Chief Information Officer to include collaborating on the development and implementation of a statewide portal to government services;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000; and

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

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 H.B. No. 2114, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2114, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Economic Development & Technology.

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

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair