STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2914

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1539

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1539, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY'S ADMINISTRATION OF THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow only original household members to retain a federal housing voucher under the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's housing choice voucher program in order to provide more opportunities for people on the waiting list to receive housing choice vouchers.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Community Alliance for Mental Health, Homeless and Affordable Housing Institute, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that the housing choice voucher program currently allows individuals who receive a housing voucher to keep the voucher or pass it along to family members or friends even when the original household members no longer live in the household.  This measure requires original household members to return their voucher when all original members no longer live in the household in order to prevent family members and friends from inheriting housing vouchers and thereby circumventing the waiting list.  However, this measure allows minors who were added to the household and who survive the original household member to retain the voucher until the last minor reaches the age of twenty-one.  This measure also includes a provision regarding the eligibility status of legal guardians of minor household members.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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 H.B. No. 1539, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1539, H.D. 1, 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