CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 127-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2014

RE:    H.B. No. 2224

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2224, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GROUP HOMES,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to help residents and prospective residents of clean and sober group homes to access a stable, alcohol- and drug-free, home-like living environment in residences that comply with federal, state, and county requirements and minimum quality standards by:

(1)  Establishing a voluntary clean and sober homes registry within the Department of Health to assist persons recovering from substance abuse;

(2)  Amending the relevant statutes on county zoning to delete redundant or obsolete language and to comply with the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act; and

(3)  Appropriating funds for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 for staffing and operating costs to plan, establish, and operate the registry of clean and sober homes.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $250,000 for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 for staffing and operating costs to plan, establish, and operate the registry of clean and sober homes; and

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2014.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2224, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2224, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair	____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair
____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Co-Chair	____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Co-Chair
____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Co-Chair	____________________________ JO JORDAN, Co-Chair