STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2098

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2214

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2214 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BRIDGE TO HOPE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to expand the Bridge to Hope Program to enable all heads of household receiving financial assistance and participating in the first-to-work program to pursue education beyond the federal limit of one year of vocational education.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services; the University of Hawai‘i; the University of Hawai‘i Bridge to Hope Program; the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i; the National Association of Social Workers, Hawaii Chapter; the Hawaii Women's Coalition; and one private individual.

     Testimony in support of a very similar measure, S.B. 2210, was submitted by the Department of Human Services, the University of Hawai‘i Bridge to Hope Program, and six private individuals.

     Your Committee finds that communities benefit when low-income women complete higher education, and that in addition to increased earnings, program participants have reported that education helped them to overcome substance abuse, leave destructive relationships, develop self-esteem, and become hopeful about their futures.

     Your Committee further finds that most of the parties who testified in support of both measures indicated a preference for the language of S.B. No. 2210.  Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting the purpose section of S.B. No. 2210 into this measure; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity 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. 2214, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2214, 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,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair