Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1114 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide an emergency appropriation to the Department of Human Services to meet its state and federal mandates to provide foster board and board-related costs, permanency assistance, and difficulty-of-care payments for foster and adoptive parents, permanent custodians, and guardians of children with special needs.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the appropriated amount of $28,518,123 by Act 281, Session Laws of 2000, was insufficient for mandated payments for room and board, permanency assistance, adoption assistance, and difficulty-of-care made to foster and adoptive parents, custodians, and legal guardians of special needs children. With additional children entering foster care, your Committee believes this emergency appropriation is needed to fund their services.

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 of S.B. No. 1114 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.