Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2385 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to comply with federal requirements by providing the State's Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), through various offices, with access to the Department of Health's (DOH) public health statistics records. This bill also provides agents of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services with access to these same records to complete audits of CSEA that are mandated by federal law.

The Department of Human Services, DOH, and the Department of the Attorney General testified in support of this measure.

Your Committees find that failure to comply with Title IV-D requirements of the federal Social Security Act relating to the child support enforcement program can result in the assessment of financial penalties. For example, last federal fiscal year, Hawaii was one of the states found to be out of compliance with paternity establishment performance requirements, and penalties were assessed, including a restriction of 1 percent on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant. The State will also be required to appropriate an additional $980,000 for noncompliance with IV-D requirements. This is currently under appeal.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2385 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.