STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2077

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2846

       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 S.B. No. 2846 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ESTABLISHING A SECOND DEPUTY DIRECTOR POSITION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to support the effective management of the Department of Human Services' diverse and complex programs affecting poor and vulnerable adults and children statewide by restoring the second deputy director position.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and Department of Human Resources Development.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Human Services is an extremely large and complex department, and that an additional deputy director position will assist the director tremendously in managing the resources of the agency.  The Department has the largest operating budget of any state department and the fifth largest staff of any department.  The Department is critical to serving the State's needy adults and children, and the programs that serve such populations are complex and driven by unique state and federal laws, rules, and regulations.  The breadth of knowledge required to effectively manage all of the Department's programs and funds is extremely difficult to develop, and each of the Department's programs require specialized leadership and expertise.  It is particularly critical that the Department's budget of over $2,500,000,000 is spent on programs that are run well and comply with federal and state laws and regulations so that tax dollars are well spent and programs serve the community as intended.  The second deputy director position was eliminated in 1994 due to the poor economy, and this measure restores a critical position to assist the director in effectively managing this invaluable department.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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 S.B. No. 2846, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2846, 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