STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3299

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2310

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2310, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide an emergency appropriation to the Department of Human Services to replace general fund appropriations redirected to provide emergency food assistance during the 2025 federal government shutdown.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor, Department of Human Services, CARES, Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute, Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi, and Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association.

Your Committee finds that the federal government shutdown that commenced on October 1, 2025, and ended on November 12, 2025, threatened the food security of residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, as well as the State's federal employees and contractors whose employment and income were disrupted. To ensure continued access to food for residents impacted by the shutdown, the Department of Human Services (DHS) redirected $46,151,160 in general fund appropriations from multiple program IDs and established the Hawaii Emergency Food Assistance Program. Your Committee further finds that while DHS has covered most of these expenditures through the use of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds, there still remains a balance of $14,248,126 in redirected general fund appropriations. This measure reimburses DHS to ensure that its programs can meet their fiscal year 2025-2026 obligations and to avoid incurring penalties and interest.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of January 30, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee notes that this measure, as amended, contains an appropriation for an unspecified amount. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting an appropriation amount of $14,248,126, to offset costs incurred by DHS in providing emergency food assistance to Hawaii residents during the federal government shutdown, as set forth in H.B. No. 2310, as introduced.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2310, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2310, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair