STAND. COM. REP. NO.  621

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 868

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 868 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELIMINATING THE ASSET LIMIT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR THE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to eliminate the asset limit eligibility requirement for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Human Services, the Office of Community Services of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Catholic Charities Hawaii, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, the American Association of University Women - Windward, and two concerned individuals.

     Your Committee finds that elimination of the asset limit eligibility requirements for Hawaii's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program will reduce administrative burdens on caseworkers without compromising the integrity of the program.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 868 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair