STAND. COM. REP. NO. 577

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 858

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 858 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AT-RISK PERSONS ON HAWAII ISLAND,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish a Conservation Corps Program to help at‑risk persons on Hawaii Island develop life and job skills to gain work experience.

     Kealakehe Ahupua‘a 2020 submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure.

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources testified, that while it agrees that at‑risk persons could benefit from programs that build life skills and a sense of responsibility and stewardship of the land, it does not have the necessary personnel or expertise to effectively address the multiple life skill needs of the at‑risk persons who are the focus of this measure.

     Your Committees find that that Conservation Corps, such as Americorps and the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Youth Conservation Corps, place participants in natural resource conservation activities to help them develop a sense of stewardship and build valuable work experience through community service, training, and education.  However, these programs are mainly offered as summer activities for students.  A similar program for other segments of the population would greatly benefit at-risk groups who need assistance in developing life and job skills that will enable them to become responsible, self-reliant citizens and would thereby benefit the entire community.

     It is your Committees' intent that the Conservation Corps Program be established to help at‑risk persons develop life and job skills to gain work experience.  Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to establish a Conservation Corps Program instead of the Department of Land and Natural Resources;

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to collaborate with the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Department of Education in the design and implementation of the Hawaii Conservation Corps Program;

     (3)  Appropriating or authorizing money from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to the Department of Human Services to establish and operate a Hawaii Conservation Corps Program on Hawaii Island; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 858, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 858, 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 Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________ RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair