STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3096

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.R. No. 98
                                        S.D. 1




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

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Labor and
Environment, to which was referred S.R. No. 98 entitled:

     "SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
     SERVICES TO CONVENE A PUBLIC-PRIVATE INTERAGENCY WORKING
     GROUP TO HELP LOW-INCOME FAMILIES BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of
Human Services (DHS) to convene a public-private interagency
working group to help low-income families become self-sufficient.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this
measure from the DHS, National Association of Social Workers,
Welfare and Employment Rights Coalition, and American Friends
Service Committee.

     This measure is intended to help welfare recipients who are
cut off from receiving benefits on December 1, 2001, due to the
five year lifetime benefit limitation imposed by the federal
Welfare Reform Act, which ended the Aid to Families with
Dependent Children (AFDC) block grant program to the states.  The
Welfare Reform Act was intended to encourage welfare recipients
to become self-sufficient.  States are free to fund their own
welfare programs after the five year limitation.  However, in
Hawaii, the transition is probably more difficult than in other
states because of the condition of the State's economy.


 
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     Your Committees believe that the State should explore
establishing employment and tax incentives, which should be fully
explored before legislation is enacted.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by adding to the
representation on the working group the Brigham Young University
- Hawaii Campus, Chaminade University, and Hawaii Pacific
University, to allow these private higher education institutions
to lend their expertise in discussing successful educational
programs that they have initiated to help welfare recipients.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Health and Human Services and Labor and Environment
that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the
intent and purpose of S.R. No. 98, as amended herein, and
recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means,
in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 98, S.D. 1.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Health and Human
                                   Services and Labor and
                                   Environment,



____________________________       ______________________________
BOB NAKATA, Chair                  SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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