STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2156

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2873

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. 2873 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE HAWAII COUNTY ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Office of Community Services, for the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council to implement new programs and to expand existing programs to aid the Marshallese.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council.

     Recently immigrated Marshallese to Hawaii county, particularly in the district of Ka‘u are in dire need of help.  The majority of the Marshallese residents are low-income and living in poverty.  The lack of adequate services and facilities for this impoverished, rural population keeps them economically, educationally, and socially stagnant.  The funds appropriated are for a Head Start home-based program for preschool children, a language arts multicultural program for elementary school students, a high school dropout prevention program, employment core services for persons with low-income, and a fourteen passenger van.

     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. 2873 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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