Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2593 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure, as received, is to establish a state-funded assistance program for income qualified immigrant children and immigrants 65 years of age and older ineligible under federal law for food stamps.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the was submitted by Na Loio–Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal Center. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that this benefit used to be provided through the federal government, and at the urging of many states Congress is currently considering the restoration of these benefits. Thus, passage of legislation on this issue may be premature at this time. Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by replacing its contents with an appropriation of $50,000 to the Hawaii Health Foundation for the purpose of performing health outreach.

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. 2593, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2593, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.