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. 123, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

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 repeal the homeless assistance program known as the "Hale Kokua Program".

Your Committee finds that over the years, the State's homeless assistance programs have sustained substantial budget reductions and that the current budget for homeless programs is $1,300,000 less than it was in 1996. Your Committee further finds that restoring and maintaining adequate funding for these programs is critical to preventing homelessness in the State, particularly at a time when many families are beginning to lose their welfare cash benefits and may be unable to meet their housing costs.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by reverting to the Senate version, which appropriates needed funding for homeless assistance and specifying that the appropriation amount shall be $100,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003.

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. 123, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 123, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.