STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1029

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1098

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1098, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Extend for one year, the emergency or transitional shelter compliance requirements of Act 234, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH) 2016, related to contracts between the Department of Human Services (DHS) and emergency or transitional shelter provider agencies;

     (2)  Allow, rather than require, emergency shelters to have partitioned space for each homeless family or individual which provides separation from other homeless families or individuals in the shelter; and

     (3)  Extend the effective date of Act 234, SLH 2016, to July 1, 2018, except for the provision in section 6(c) requiring DHS to work with provider agencies to implement the Act.

The Department of Human Services, Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Ho‘omano Pono, LLC., and an individual supported this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing reference to section 6(c) from the effective date for Act 234, SLH 2016; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1098, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1098, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO, Chair