STAND. COM. REP. NO. 380
Honolulu, Hawaii
S.D. 1
President of the Senate
Twenty-Fourth State Legislature
State of Hawaii
Madam:
Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1170 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Healthy Start Program, including Enhanced Healthy Start, hiring of additional staff, and training.
The Department of Human Services submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure. Catholic Charities Hawaii, the Hawaii Family Support Institute, Parents and Children Together, Good Beginnings Alliance, and two individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health submitted testimony in opposition.
Your Committee finds that for over twenty years, the Healthy Start Program has been an evolving resource for Hawaii's families by identifying families at risk of abuse and neglect, and by providing voluntary home‑based child abuse and neglect prevention services. In response to a concern that certain families facing substance abuse, domestic violence, and mental health issues were not being effectively enrolled in the program, the Enhanced Healthy Start Program was established to serve families at threatened harm levels of risk, as well as, infants and toddlers confirmed as being subject to abuse or neglect.
According to the testimony, the Healthy Start Program is at the cusp of making programmatic changes that will substantially increase the opportunities to make positive changes in the lives of many children.
According to the Department of Health, the Administration has requested funding for the Healthy Start Program and for the Enhanced Healthy Start Program through the Department of Human Services. The testifiers indicated that it is more beneficial to increase the current Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cap for the purpose of this measure instead of a state general fund appropriation.
It is the Committee's intent to support the request to increase the current Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cap for the purpose of this measure in lieu of a state general fund appropriation. Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Appropriating or authorizing money from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to the Department of Human Services for the Healthy Start Program, including Enhanced Healthy Start, the hiring of a child development specialist or clinical specialist, and provider training;
(2) Increasing the appropriated or authorized sum from $2,300,000 to $3,200,000; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1170, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1170, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,
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SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair |
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