STAND. COM. REP. NO. 473-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2154
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Human
Services and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2154
entitled: 

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to transfer the Office of
Community Services (OCS) from the Department of Labor and
Industrial Relations to the Department of Human Services (DHS).

     The Hawaii Community Action Directors Association and Maui
Economic Opportunity testified in support of this measure.
Pacific Gateway Center, Catholic Charities, Susannah Wesley
Community Center, and the Hawaii Food Bank expressed concerns
over this measure.  OCS submitted comments.

     Your Committees find that the issues faced by and functions
of OCS would be better dealt with in DHS.  Your Committees are
concerned about the possible delay of actually making the
transfer because of drastic cuts and fiscal constraints.

     Your Committees note that the basic intent of this bill is
to try to preserve OCS, and not to give any appearance of adverse
action against, or any penalty against, the Executive Director or
the leadership of the agencies involved.  Additionally, it is not
your Committees' intention to give the perception of an
evaluative statement regarding performance by OCS leadership.  On
the contrary, it is to continue looking at the fiscal constraints

 
 
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under which this, and other agencies, are operating, and to
continue this discussion in the Committee on Finance.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2010; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Human Services and
Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in
accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2154, as amended
herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form
attached hereto as H.B. No. 2154, H.D. 1, and be referred to the
Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Labor and Public
                                   Employment and Human Services
                                   and Housing,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair           TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA, Chair