Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 244 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of Human Services (DHS) to recognize individuals who have not received a decision on their application for public assistance within the time specified in the administrative rules to be presumptively eligible until an eligibility decision is made.

The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii testified in support of this measure. DHS opposed this measure.

Although DHS reported that over 90 percent of applications are processed within the required time period, your Committee is concerned that a delay in receiving public assistance is a significant problem to those awaiting payment. However, your Committee recognizes that some processing delays are caused by the applicants.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 244, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 244, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.