CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT NO.105

                            Honolulu, Hawaii
                                            , 2000

                            RE:   S.B. No. 3123
                                  S.D. 2
                                  H.D. 2
                                  C.D. 1




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

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

Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the
Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives
in S.B. No. 3123, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:  

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION," 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to
recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final
passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to create a post-secondary
education transitional benefits program within the Department of
Human Services.

     The program, called "bridge to hope", will be for heads of
households in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program
(TANF).  The Federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Act of 1996 abolished the sixty-one year old Aid to Families with
Dependent Children entitlement program and replaced it with a
transitional aid program, TANF, that requires recipients who are
able to work to secure employment at the earliest opportunity.

 
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The new law places a heavy burden on the states to meet strict
work participation requirements.

     Bridge to hope allows TANF recipients to continue to receive
benefits if they are pursuing a post-secondary education,
notwithstanding the work requirement of TANF.

     Transitional benefits are needed to provide the necessary
support to enable public assistance recipients to secure
education and training beyond high school, in order to
successfully transition from public assistance to
self-sufficiency.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by
inserting an appropriation amount of $300,000 in general funds.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your
Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your
Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 3123, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto
as S.B. No. 3123, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the managers:

  ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE           ON THE PART OF THE SENATE



_____________________________     _______________________________
Rep. DENNIS A. ARAKAKI            Sen. SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND
Co-Chair                          Co-Chair



_____________________________     _______________________________
Rep. TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA          Sen. DAVID Y. IGE
Co-Chair                          Co-Chair



_____________________________     _______________________________
Rep. KENNY GOODENOW               Sen. CAROL FUKUNAGA
Co-Chair                          Co-Chair

 
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