STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2350

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2853
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2853 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
     PAYMENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the Department of
Human Services (DHS) to administratively increase the assistance
allowance.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the DHS, Legal Aid Society, and a private individual.

     Current law allows the DHS to reduce the assistance
allowance paid to non-exempt households with minor dependents
under the temporary assistance to needy families or TANF program,
in order to provide work incentives.  This measure is intended to
give the DHS the flexibility to provide up-front lump sum
payments to remove barriers to employment.  Your Committee finds
that by allowing DHS to do this, families will be diverted from
receipt of assistance.

     The DHS will implement this program without any additional
cost to the State.

     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

 
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of S.B. No. 2853 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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