STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1234-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   S.B. No. 2568

      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 Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2568 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure, as received by your Committee, is to require the counties to partner with nonprofit organizations to provide information on, and access to, temporary emergency shelters to homeless individuals and families in instances when they are relocated from public property by the counties.

Several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The City and County of Honolulu opposed this measure.  The Department of Human Services commented on the measure.

     Upon consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its substance and inserting the provisions contained in H.B. No. 70, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, which was introduced in the 2011 Regular Session, the purpose of which is to:

(1)  Establish a return-to-home program to provide eligible homeless individuals with assistance in being reunited with family and relatives in the individual's home state;

(2)  Require the Department of Human Services to adopt rules to develop the program and adopt standards for its implementation; and

(3)  Appropriate funds for the 2012-2013 fiscal year to implement the program.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2568, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2568, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

____________________________

RIDA T.R. CABANILLA, Chair