STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2449

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2277

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2277, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to remove most procedural requirements preliminary to hearings for eviction of tenants from public housing projects.

     More specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Repeals the requirement that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority meet with tenants delinquent in the payment of rent prior to initiating eviction proceedings;

     (2)  Requires the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to instead provide written notice in accordance with federal law; and

     (3)  Clarifies that evictions for federal low-income housing tenants must be conducted by an eviction board.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.  Written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's current eviction process is inefficient and exceeds federal requirements.  Your Committee believes that conforming the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's eviction process to federal law for public housing projects will streamline the eviction process and allow the authority to efficiently provide housing for other needy individuals and families waiting for a unit.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2099, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

     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 S.B. No. 2277, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2277, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair