STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3457

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2465

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2465, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NON-GENERAL FUNDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal, abolish, or amend various non-general funds pursuant to the recommendations made by the Auditor in Auditor's Report No. 15-19.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, the Office of the Auditor, Susannah Wesley Community Center, and one individual.

     Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Domestic Violence Action Center.

     Your Committee finds that the revenues generated from fees for certified copies of birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates issued by the Department of Health and deposited into the spouse and child abuse special account amounted to $346,258 in fiscal year 2015.  This amount represented seventy per cent of the total revenues received by the spouse and child abuse special account, which were expended for domestic abuse programs, child welfare services, and identification of sex trafficking victims.  Your Committee feels that continuing to allow a portion of the fees from the issuance of Department of Health vital records to be deposited into the spouse and child abuse special account will help to ensure that the special account has the resources necessary to continue to fund services for adults and children who have experienced abuse.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Deleting provisions amending the revenue sources of the spouse and child abuse special account;

(2)  Deleting provisions appropriating unspecified amounts of funds to the Department of Human Services and the Hawaii Public Housing Authority; and

(3)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2465, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2465, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair