HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2026

 

COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & HOMELESSNESS

Rep. Lisa Marten, Chair

Rep. Ikaika Olds, Vice Chair

 

Rep. Terez Amato

Rep. Jenna Takenouchi

Rep. Daisy Hartsfield

Rep. David Alcos III

Rep. Sue L. Keohokapu-Lee Loy

Rep. Diamond Garcia

Rep. Gregg Takayama

 

 

 

AMENDED NOTICE OF HEARING

 

DATE:

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

TIME:

9:00 am

PLACE:

VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE

Conference Room 329

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

 

 

 

Click here to submit testimony and to testify remotely or in person.

 

A live stream link of all House Standing Committee meetings will be available online

shortly before the scheduled start time.

 

Click here for the live stream of this meeting via YouTube.

 

 

 

A M E N D E D  A G E N D A

 

The following measure(s) has been DELETED from the agenda:  HB1699

 

 

HB 1518

Status

RELATING TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

By 1/1/2028, requires the Department of Human Services, upon obtaining a federal waiver, to establish a pre-release Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application process for inmates nearing release.  Allows all individuals convicted of an offense involving the possession, use, or distribution of a controlled substance to apply for SNAP benefits, regardless of treatment status.

 

HSH, PBS, FIN

HB 1699

Status

RELATING TO FOOD SECURITY.

Establishes and appropriates funds for the Hawaii Farm to Families Program under the Department of Human Services to alleviate food shortages in the State.  Requires reports to the Legislature before the Regular Sessions of 2027 and 2028.

 

HSH, AGR, FIN

HB 1747

Status

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Requires the Department of Human Services to request and implement waivers or waiver extensions from the federal government to make sugary drinks and candy ineligible foods for purchase with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.  Requires annual reports to the legislature on waiver status, ineligible foods, and implementation impacts.

 

HSH, FIN

HB 1705

Status

RELATING TO CHILD CUSTODY.

Allows licensed mental health counselors to be appointed as child custody evaluators.

 

HSH, JHA

HB 1565

Status

RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.

Establishes a working group within the Judiciary to improve family court processes, including access to legal representation for youth in the child welfare system.  Appropriates funds for the working group.

 

HSH, JHA, FIN

HB 1801

Status

RELATING TO CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.

Appropriates funds for the Department of Human Services to contract with one or more organizations specializing in domestic violence to provide training and on-site staff in Child Welfare Services Branch offices to support all aspects of screening for and addressing domestic violence within a case.

 

HSH, FIN

HB 1645

Status

RELATING TO LIABILITY.

Provides certain liability protections for foster care agencies that are under contract with the State to provide foster care services to children in foster care.  Requires contracts between foster care agencies and the State to include a state indemnification clause and requires foster care agencies to name the State as an additional insured.  Prohibits punitive damages and pre- and post-judgment interest for foster care agencies.  Requires actions against foster care agencies to be tried by the court, except in certain circumstances.  Removes joint and several liability for foster care agencies.  Specifies that no bond shall be required from a foster care agency on appeal.

 

HSH, JHA

HB 2115

Status

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to issue supplemental contracts to community-based organizations to address increases in costs related to labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and gas.

 

HSH, FIN

HB 2114

Status

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Establishes the Hawaii Benefits Hub within the Office of Enterprise Technology Services.  Appropriates funds.

 

HSH, ECD, FIN

 

 

 

 

DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW

 

Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.  Testimony received after this time will be stamped late and left to the discretion of the chair to consider.  While every effort will be made to incorporate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed, may not be processed.

 

Testimony submitted will be placed on the legislative website.  This public posting of testimony on the website should be considered when including personal information in your testimony.

 

The chair may institute a per-testifier time limit.

 

Committees meeting in the morning must adjourn prior to the day's Floor Session.  Therefore, due to time constraints, not all testifiers may be provided an opportunity to offer verbal comments.  However, written submissions will be considered by the committee.

 

Please refrain from profanity or uncivil behavior.  Violations may result in ejection from the hearing without the ability to rejoin.

 

For remote testifiers, the House will not be responsible for bad connections on the testifier's end.

 

For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov.

 

The livestream and/or cable TV broadcast of this meeting will include closed captioning.  If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation (including oral, written, or ASL interpretive services) or are unable to submit testimony via the website due to a disability, please contact the committee clerk at (808)586-9453. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.

 

Click here for a complete list of House Guidelines for remote testimony.

 

FOR AMENDED NOTICES:  Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are bolded.

 

For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk at (808) 586-9453.

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________________

Rep. Lisa Marten

Chair