CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 79

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    H.B. No. 1364

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1364, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE RENT SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to expand participation in the State Rent Supplement Program (Program) by:

     (1)  Requiring the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) to allow individuals and families living in transitional shelters, who are homeless or on the public housing or Section 8 wait lists, to be eligible for the Program wait list; and

     (2)  Removing the $160 per month cap on payments and requiring the Program to serve individuals with incomes up to 95 percent of the area median income.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Removing the provisions requiring HPHA to allow individuals and families living in transitional shelters, who are homeless or on the public housing or Section 8 wait lists, to be eligible for the Program wait list;

     (2)  Specifying that income limits are based on annual median income (AMI) as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development;

     (3)  Requiring HPHA to give preference to qualified tenants with incomes at or below 80 percent AMI; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1364, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1364, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair	____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Co-Chair
____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair	____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Co-Chair