STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1556

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1098

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1098, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to enhance the

functioning of the State's homeless emergency shelters.

Specifically, the measure:

(1)  Amends Act 234, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, to permit, rather than require, emergency shelters to have partitioned space for homeless persons or families and allows differences in partition specifications among emergency shelters to be determined by the Department of Human Services;

(2)  Delays the requirement that contracts between the Department and emergency or transitional shelter provider agencies comply with Act 234, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, by one year, so that the requirement applies to contracts that take effect after June 30, 2018; and

(3)  Delays the effective date of Act 234, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, by one year, to July 1, 2018.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, the Department of Human Services, and Catholic Charities Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that Act 234, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, established minimum requirements for every homeless

emergency shelter operated by a provider agency under

contract with the Department of Human Services, in order to make more emergency shelter space available in a cost-effective manner.  At the same time, your Committee recognizes that emergency shelters in rural and urban communities have distinct differences and needs.  Your Committee finds that the Department of Human Services would benefit by having more time to determine how to bring these shelters with diverse needs into compliance with the requirements of Act 234.

     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. 1098, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair