STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1246

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 475

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 475, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide public assistance recipients with adequate income by:

(1) Adjusting the standard of need as determined by the federal poverty level for an unspecified year;

(2) Clarifying that households with minor dependents be included in determining amounts of payment;

(3) Including the aged, blind, and disabled in determining amounts of payment; and

(4) Providing that determinations of general assistance (GA) allowances be based on standard of need, among other factors, rather than on the total appropriations for GA.

The National Association of Social Workers, Welfare and Employment Rights Coalition, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, The League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. The Department of Human Services does not support this measure.

Your Committee recognizes that this measure is long overdue since it has been 12 years since the last increase in the standard of need. Hawaii's needy families are unable to keep up with the cost of living on payments they currently receive and with the restrictions placed on GA.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Requiring that the standard of need be determined by an unspecified percentage of the federal poverty level for the current year; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

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 S.B. No. 475, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 475, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

		____________________________ ALEX M. SONSON, Chair