STAND. COM. REP. NO.  525

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 533

      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 Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 533 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HOMELESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to assist eligible homeless individuals to be reunited with family and relatives in the individuals' home state by establishing the Return-to-Home Program, administered by the Department of Human Services.

The Fair Housing Coalition and a few individuals testified in support of the measure.  The Department of Human Services and Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to contract with non-profit and for profit organizations or private foundations to administer the Program;

     (2)  Deleting requirements that the Department of Human Services ensure the sufficient physical and mental health to endure travel for Program participants;

     (3)  Creating the Return-to-Home Special Fund, making an appropriation to deposit General Fund revenues into the Special Fund, and making an appropriation of Special Fund money to the Department of Human Services for the implementation of the Program; and

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

     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. 533, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 533, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair