STAND. COM. REP. NO.  290

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 1158

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1158 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, in the selection of tenants, from considering a prospective tenant's conviction for a minor crime that occurred five years or more before the tenant's application date, except for crimes involving drug-related criminal activity, violent criminal activity, sexual offenses, or abuse of alcohol.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment Committee and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  Hawaii Public Housing Authority and the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii opposed this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Prohibiting the Hawaii Public Housing Authority from considering, in the selection of tenants, a prospective tenant's conviction for a minor crime involving abuse of alcohol which occurred five years or more before the tenant's application date; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

     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 H.B. No. 1158, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1158, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

RIDA T.R. CABANILLA, Chair