STAND. COM. REP. NO. 365-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2370



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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred H.B. No. 2370 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENERAL ASSISTANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to clarify the finality of
determinations of physical or mental disability or both when
determining eligibility for general assistance (GA) benefits by:

     (1)  Allowing the applicant to rebut a board's or medical
          consultant's finding of no disability by introducing
          medical records or reports, or both from the
          applicant's treating provider; and

     (2)  Having the hearing officer consider, but not be bound
          by, the determination made by the board or by the
          Department of Human Services' (DHS) medical consultant.

     The Hawaii Catholic Conference and the Hawaii Disability
Rights Center testified in support of this bill.  Two individual
commented on this bill.  The DHS testified in opposition to this
bill.

     Your Committee believes that this bill will provide a
process for those who may be wrongly denied GA benefits.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 2370 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 365-00
                                 Page 2

 

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair