STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1437

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1121
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B.
No. 1121 entitled:

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SUNSET CLAUSE IN ACT 128,
     SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII 1997,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this administration measure is to repeal the
sunset date of Act 128, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, that allows
felons convicted for controlled substance crimes to receive
temporary assistance to needy families (TANF) benefits and to
receive food stamps.

     Act 128 was enacted in response to federal welfare reform
legislation, Public Law 104-193, that prohibited felons convicted
of crimes that had the element of possession, use, or
distribution of a controlled substance from participating in TANF
and receiving food stamps, unless states opted out of the
prohibition, as the State did in Act 128.  The repeal of the
sunset provision of two years allows these convicted felons to
continue to receive TANF assistance and food stamps.

     Your Committee finds that there are strong policy
considerations for this measure.  Withholding TANF benefits and
food stamps for needy families could push individuals who have
served their time deeper into poverty and could overburden
already limited local resources leading to:  increased

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1437
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homelessness, hunger, family breakup, child abuse and neglect,
deteriorating educational achievement for children, poor overall
health and an increase in health-related expenditures, and
increased costs for the criminal justice system from repeat
offenders who return to crime because of persistent poverty and
desperation.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
1121 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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