STAND. COM. REP. NO.  596-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 1735

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Housing and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1735 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HOMELESS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness.

The Department of Health, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Office of Housing and Community Development of the County of Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Association of REALTORS, and two individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Human Services and Leeward Housing Coalition testified in support of the intent of this measure.  The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations commented on the measure. 

     In discussion, the Department of Human Services requested that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands be represented on the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1)  Revising the responsibilities of the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness;

(2)  Reducing the number of representatives on the council and revising its membership composition;

(3)  Specifying that in the event a member of the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness is unable to attend a meeting, the member may appoint a designee to attend and to act on the member's behalf during the meeting;

(4)  Clarifying the purpose of the unified, statewide plan;

(5)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to:

(A)  Conduct a study on the feasibility of establishing safe havens for persons who are homeless in the State; and

          (B)  Submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2013; and

(6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1735, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1735, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Human Services,

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair

____________________________ RIDA T.R. CABANILLA, Chair