STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1703-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 2840

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2840, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to support efforts to help lower income families reach economic self-sufficiency by requiring the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) to establish and update biennially a self-sufficiency standard to reflect the costs related to the basic necessities of life.

     The Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, National Association of Social Workers, Aloha United Way, Hawaii Women Work!, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill.  DBEDT and the Department of Human Services offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Codifying the requirement that DBEDT report to the Legislature on the self-sufficiency standard;

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2840, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2840, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair