Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 606 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to transfer the Office of Community Services from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) to the Department of Human Services (DHS).

The Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council, Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., and Na Loio Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal Center submitted testimony in support of this bill. DHS, DLIR, Pacific Gateway Center, Susannah Wesley Community Center, and Catholic Charities Community and Immigrant Services submitted testimony in opposition to this bill.

Your Committee finds that the Office of Community Services would be more appropriately located within DHS than within DLIR. The delivery of services to disadvantaged individuals will be greatly enhanced by the bill, and accountability and responsiveness will be improved significantly by this change.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 606, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 606, H.D. 1.