STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2412

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2659

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2659 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EMERGENCY AND BUDGET RESERVE FUND,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate monies from the emergency and budget reserve fund to maintain funding levels of programs for public health, safety, welfare, and education.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary; the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; the Executive Office on Aging, Department of Health; Catholic Charities Hawai‘i; Child & Family Service; Kapa Ola, Child and Family Service; the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii; the Domestic Violence Action Center; Goodwill Industries of Hawaii, Inc.; the Hawaii Disability Rights Center; the Hawai‘i Primary Care Association; the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i; Maui Family Support Services; Mental Health America of Hawai‘i; Moiliili Senior Center, Moiliili Community Center; Partners in Development Foundation; PHOCUSED; the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs; Read Aloud America, Inc.; The Children's Alliance of Hawaii, Inc.; the University of Hawai‘i System; the Waikiki Community Center; and fifteen individuals.

Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; the Department of Budget and Finance; the Department of Health; the Department of Human Services; the Office of Community Services, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; AARP; and one individual.

     Your Committees find that the national and global economic crisis has caused significant economic problems in numerous industries in the State.  Difficult economic times and declining tax revenues have resulted in budget cuts for all state services.  The current fiscal situation is threatening Hawaii's safety net of basic education, human services, and health to its most vulnerable citizens.

     Your Committees also find that all of the programs included in this measure address vital needs of specific target groups or areas, including aging, child care, dental care, disability, domestic violence, and the uninsured.  Each of these target groups and areas are equally important, uniquely defined as vulnerable, and deserving of priority status to be included in the State's budget.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  In section 4, adding Catholic Charities Hawai‘i on behalf of the Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center and the Moiliili Community Center on behalf of the Moiliili Senior Center Program as recipients of grants;

     (2)  In section 14, requiring the Department of Human Services, rather than the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, to report on the progress of the housing first pilot program;

     (3)  In section 17, deleting language specifying The Path Clinic to be the recipient of a grant for services to pregnant women struggling with addiction and designating the Department of Health to provide these services;

     (4)  In section 30, deleting language for the appropriation to the Hawaii Primary Care Association for outstationed eligibility worker services provided at federally qualified health centers and designating the Department of Human Services to provide this service;

     (5)  In section 38, changing the expending agency to the Department of Health, rather than the Department of Human Services, for the grant to Planned Parenthood for statewide sexual health education;

     (6)  In section 39, amending language that clarifies and expands the services the Partners in Development Foundation will provide;

     (7)  In section 40, adding language that appropriates funds as a grant to People Attentive to Children for the preschool open doors program;

     (8)  Deleting section 41, which would have provided funding to the Oahu About Face Family of Programs;

     (9)  Adding language that appropriates funds to the Department of Education to provide non-school hour programs, and for the purchasing or leasing of vehicles by a school to provide students with transportation to attend the non-school hour programs; and

    (10)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2659, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2659, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair