STAND. COM. REP. NO.  553-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2547

      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 Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2547 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation in the amount of $70,124.05 for the Department of Human Services to pay attorneys' fees and to reimburse the Department's General Support for Health Care Payments budget for payments made to those attorneys.

     For purposes of a public hearing on this bill, your Committee circulated a proposed draft, and notified the public that it would be accepting testimony on the proposal, which makes an emergency appropriation in the amount of $736,478 for the Department of Human Services to fund general assistance payments to address a budget shortfall in the General Assistance Program.

The Department of Human Services, Attorney General, and Phocused testified in support of the proposed draft.

     Pursuant to the requirements set forth in Article VII, Section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution, the Governor, in his Governor's Message No. 211 to the House of Representatives, requested immediate consideration and passage of this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure, as introduced, by:

     (1)  Adopting the proposed draft, which replaces the contents with an emergency appropriation in the amount of $736,478 for the Department of Human Services to fund general assistance payments to address a budget shortfall in the General Assistance Program; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2547, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2547, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair