STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2773

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2804

       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. 2804, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to permanently establish and appropriate funds to the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness within the Department of Human Services.

     Written comments in support of this measure were submitted by the Department of Health; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Catholic Charities Hawaii; Leeward Housing Coalition; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Hawaii Catholic Conference; and one private citizen.  Written comments were submitted by Partners in Care.

     Your Committee finds that homelessness is a multifaceted problem and that this measure will provide the tools necessary to develop an enduring solution to the problem of homelessness in Hawaii.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the Council shall submit a report on its progress to the Governor, Mayors, and Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each Regular Session of the Legislature;

     (2)  Clarifying that federal officials and private citizens are requested and not mandated to serve on the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness;

     (3)  Deleting the specific appropriation amount for the purpose of facilitating further discussion of the measure; and

     (4)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity 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. 2804, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2804, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair