STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2771

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2659

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2659, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make appropriations from the emergency and budget reserve fund to support programs for health, safety, welfare, and education.

     Written comments in support of this measure were submitted by the Judiciary; University of Hawaii; Kihei Elementary School; Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs; Maui Medical Group; Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Read Aloud America Incorporated; Hawaii Centers for Independent Living; Legal Aid Society of Hawaii; Hale Mohaolu; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; and twenty-four individuals.  Written comments were submitted by the Department of Budget and Finance; Department of the Attorney General; Department of Education; and nine individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the recent economic downturn persists in creating economic problems for businesses and industries in the State.  Stagnant economic growth has resulted in reduced tax revenues for the State, leading to budget cuts for many state and county programs, including those that provide services to some of the most vulnerable members of society.  Your Committee finds that the appropriations in this measure will help maintain funding levels for many programs and services that support the health, education, safety, and welfare of Hawaii's population.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the appropriation to fund the Housing First Pilot Program will be under the purview of the Department of Human Services;

     (2)  Deleting an appropriation to provide funding for grants to Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children for the sex abuse treatment center for statewide sex assault services;

     (3)  Adding an unspecified appropriation for grants to provide funding to the Hawaii Meth Project for methamphetamine use prevention programs, to be expended by the Department of Human Services; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2659, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2659, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair