STAND. COM. REP. NO.  217-26

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2026

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2115

      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. 2115 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Human Services to issue supplemental contracts to community-based organization to address increases in costs related to labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and gas.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi; Adult Friends for Youth; Responsive Caregivers of Hawaii; Hale Kipa; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Community Alliance on Prisons; Hina Mauka; Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations; Hawaiʻi True Cost Coalition; Parents and Children Together; Domestic Violence Action Center; Goodwill Hawaii; Kumukahi Health+Wellness; Aloha United Way; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association; The Institute for Human Services, Inc.; Child and Family Service; Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center; AlohaCare; Partners in Development Foundation; and seven individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and State Procurement Office.

 

     Your Committee finds that community‑based organizations across the State are facing significant financial pressures due to rising labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and fuel costs that have outpaced stagnant contract rates.  These increasing operational burdens threaten the continuity, quality, and stability of essential services provided on behalf of the Department of Human Services to vulnerable children, families, youth, kupuna, and individuals experiencing homelessness.  Your Committee further finds that this measure will help sustain Hawaii's social safety‑net infrastructure by providing supplemental funding necessary to maintain service capacity, retain qualified staff, and support the long‑term viability of critical programs statewide.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

 

     Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider the following budget information on existing contracts between the Department of Human Services and direct service providers when determining the amounts for supplemental contracts:

 

Total contracts

$227,499,147

HMS 301 (CWS)

$49,690,817

HMS 802 (DVR)

$7,368,156

HMS 302 (BESSD)

$5,118,101

HMS 903 (BESSD)

$53,264,431

HMS 902 (MQD)

$6,376,252

HMS 501 (OYS)

$9,738,391

Recent 5 percent increase

 

HMS 301 (CWS)

$75,712,180

HMS 224 (BESSD)

$20,230,819

 

 

     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. 2115, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2115, 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,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair