CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 108

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    S.B. No. 1160

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1160, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Authorize the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to assess all the units in a state public housing project a fee for the common area expenses of the housing project;

(2) Eliminate most procedural requirements preliminary to hearings for evictions of tenants of public housing projects;

(3) Require written notice to delinquent tenants in accordance with federal law;

(4) Provide that hearings officers appointed by the public housing authority will conduct eviction hearings, rather than eviction boards; and

     (5)  Require legislative approval prior to the sale or lease of any project by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the purpose of this measure is to assist the Hawaii Public Housing Authority in administering public housing projects with greater efficiency, for the benefit of both the Authority and public housing tenants.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Retaining the eviction boards to conduct hearings for evictions from federal low-income housing;

     (2)  Requiring hearings officers to conduct hearings for evictions from state low-income housing;

     (3)  Requiring the eviction board or hearings officer, in hearings for a tenant who has custody of a school age child or children residing with the tenant, to consider information regarding the tenant's regular participation in school activities or meetings during the current and previous school year from the children's school or schools in making a determination;

     (4)  Prohibiting the Hawaii Public Housing Authority from selling any land developed for public housing projects;

     (5)  Amending the findings and purpose section to reflect the above changes;

     (6)  Making the effective date of the Act July 1, 2009; and

     (7)  Making technical amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1160, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1160, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ RIDA CABANILLA, Co-Chair	____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair
____________________________ ROLAND D. SAGUM III, Co-Chair	____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair