STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1300

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1098

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1098, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENERAL ASSISTANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to:

(1)  Apply assistance allowance calculations based on standard of need to general assistance payments for households without minor dependents;

(2)  Place a twenty-four-month limit on general assistance to persons between eighteen and sixty-five years of age with a disability;

(3)  Provide that any month in which a person receives assistance pending an eligibility determination for the federal Supplemental Security Income Program or successor program shall not be counted toward the twenty-four-month limit;

(4)  Require the Department of Human Services to refer general assistance recipients to the aid to the aged, blind, and disabled program after twelve months or upon the recipient turning sixty-five years old; and

(5)  Convert the funding mechanism for general assistance from a block grant to an entitlement.

     Your Committee received two written comments on this measure.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that the general assistance program represents a critical safety net that should provide dependable financial assistance to certain disabled persons who lack other means of financial support.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by making technical and conforming amendments and by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1098, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1098, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair