STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2390

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2608

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2608 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to be used to purchase hot food from lunch counters and lunch wagons, and fresh foods from farmers markets.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from three individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Services and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawai‘i Dietetic Association, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and nine individuals.

     Your Committee finds that many low-income households do not have access to facilities to prepare meals, store fresh foods, and plan and create nutritious meals.  Although allowing low-income households to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for the purchase of hot meals served at lunch counters, lunch wagons, or food vending trucks may increase this population's access to hot food, these meals are not nutritious and actually promote unhealthy lifestyles.

     Your Committee further finds that per Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regulations, recipients are not allowed to use the program's benefits to purchase hot or prepared meals unless a state elects to operate a restaurant meals program for qualified elderly, disabled, and homeless persons.  From 1992 to 1998, Hawaii administered such a program, but discontinued the program due to complaints of abuse and a lack of staff to adequately monitor the program.

     Your Committee has therefore amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting language that authorizes the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to purchase hot food from lunch counters and lunch wagons, and fresh staple foods from farmers markets; and

     (2)  Adding language requiring the Department of Human Services to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2013 Regular Session that includes:

          (A)  The prospective homeless, elderly, or disabled population eligible to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits; and

          (B)  The feasibility of re-administering and overseeing a restaurant meals program to allow the use of the benefits to purchase hot or prepared meals at designated restaurants or facilities.

     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 S.B. No. 2608, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2608, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair