STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2119

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2347

       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. 2347 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SENIOR CENTERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation to support certain senior centers on Oahu.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services, Catholic Charities Hawaii, the Moiliili Community Center, the Waikiki Community Center, and over one hundred private citizens.  Oral testimony consisting of comments on the measure was given by the Department of the Attorney General.

     Your Committee finds that senior center programs play an important role in our communities in assisting seniors to maintain their social, mental, and physical health.  As such, their efforts should be supported.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Incorporating the comments of Catholic Charities Hawaii by amending the expending agency to the Department of Health, and by detailing specific allocation amounts to each of the four senior centers;

     (2)  Incorporating the comments of the Department of the Attorney General highlighting the importance of referencing correctly the legal names of the organizations receiving the funding; and

     (3)  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. 2347, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2347, 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