STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3017

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2272

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2272, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO QUALIFIED COMMUNITY REHABILITATION PROGRAMS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to extend civil service exemptions under section 76-77, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to positions or contracts for custodial and grounds maintenance services with qualified community rehabilitation programs, lasting no longer than a year, and at a cost of no more than $1,000,000.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Ka Lima O Maui.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Government Employees Association and United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO. 

     Your Committees find that contracts made by qualified community rehabilitation programs for custodial and grounds maintenance services have successfully enabled many of the State's most severely disabled workers to become independent and self-supporting members of the community. 

     Your Committees note that it is not the intent of this measure for qualified community rehabilitation programs to expand their contracts for custodial and grounds maintenance services, but to exempt their contracts already in existence. 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by replacing its contents with that of S.B. No. 2435, S.D. 2.  As amended, this measure:

     (1)  Eliminates the existing exemption related to contracts for personal services with private persons or entities for services lasting no longer than one year and which cost less than $750,000, in favor of a new exemption for contracts for personal services with qualified community rehabilitation programs for custodial and grounds maintenance services lasting no longer than a year, and costing no more than $1,000,000; and

     (2)  Requires the Department of Human Resources Development to report annually to the Legislature on the expenditures of qualified community rehabilitation programs and related activities.

     Your Committees also have amended the effective date of the measure to July 1, 2050.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2272, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2272, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair