CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO.128
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2001
RE: S.B. No. 1113
H.D. 1
C.D. 1
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
State of Hawaii
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2001
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. 1113, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE,"
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 primary purposes of this bill are to enable the Department of Human Services (DHS) to better administer its assistance programs by clarifying that:
(1) The requirement that DHS file an annual update of its liens with the Bureau of Conveyances (Bureau) is an internal departmental accounting measure intended to track DHS expenditures, and is not intended to burden the Bureau to record the same lien against the same property year after year;
(2) DHS may initiate probate proceedings to enforce a lien against the estate of a recipient; and
(3) Recording and tracking procedures may apply to both types of DHS liens, specifically real estate liens on the interest of:
(A) A person applying for or receiving DHS assistance; and
(B) A medical assistance recipient who is an inpatient of a medical institution.
Two further purposes of this bill are to appropriate funds for respite care services for family caregivers, and to create a welfare safety net program entitled, "Keeping Hope Alive".
Upon further consideration, your Committee on Conference amended this measure to delete the provisions dealing with respite care services.
Your Conference Committee also amended the provisions of this bill that create the "Keeping Hope Alive" program. As amended by your Conference Committee, DHS is authorized to create a welfare safety net program called "Keeping Hope Alive," but is not required to do so.
There are no further requirements or funding for the "Keeping Hope Alive" program in this bill, and so if DHS chooses to create such a program it will have broad discretion to fashion whatever type of program it deems appropriate.
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. 1113, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1113, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
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ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
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____________________________ MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Co-Chair |
____________________________ CAL KAWAMOTO, Chair |
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____________________________ BERTHA C. KAWAKAMI, Co-Chair |
____________________________ RON MENOR, Co-Chair |
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