Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2764, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate $1,000,000 from the proceeds collected from the real property conveyance tax to assist the homeless under program identification BED224.

Your Committee finds that the need for services for the homeless has grown while funding for these services has not. The events of September 11 and the cutoff of welfare cash benefits have further amplified the need to increase funding for homeless services.

This bill will provide a temporary financial boost for homeless services that is based on the current increased number of real estate transactions in the State. It will not affect the programs that are currently funded from the conveyance tax. To insure that these programs remain unaffected, your Committee has amended the bill to clarify that the amount earmarked for homeless services is calculated only after the transfers are made to programs currently funded by the conveyance tax.

Your Committee has also amended the bill by deleting the appropriation amounts and inserting defective dates in order to promote further discussion on this matter.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2764, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2764, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.