Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 859, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Bridge to Hope program to assist low-income students to attend post-secondary education and reach economic self-sufficiency.

Currently, the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Temporary Assistance to Other Needy Families programs assist low income families and individuals in a variety of ways to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency. The Department of Human Services, which administers these programs, has partnered with the University of Hawaii to create a program for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families recipients called Bridge to Hope, to assist recipients attending a post-secondary school. Bridge to Hope supplies student employment opportunities at all nine University of Hawaii campuses.

Your Committee finds that the Bridge to Hope program has been extremely beneficial to those who have been able to participate. However, the reach of the program is limited by its funding. Many more Temporary Assistance to Needy Families recipients are attending post-secondary education than can be employed through Bridge to Hope. Your Committee believes that federal funding may be available to provide services to some of the current Temporary Assistance to Needy Families recipients, which would free funds to be used for Temporary Assistance to Other Needy Families students. This would thus increase educational opportunities for more low-income residents without an increase in state spending.

Your Committee has amended the bill by making the appropriation blank to promote further discussion, and by making other technical nonsubstantive corrections.

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 S.B. No. 859, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 859, S.D. 2.