STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1567

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1231

       H.D. 1

       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. 1231, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISASTER RELIEF,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Department of Education to retain and reallocate funds to offset incurred disaster relief expenses.

     Specifically, this measure:

(1)  Authorizes the Department of Education to retain reimbursements for disaster relief expenses until the end of the following fiscal biennium; and

(2)  Credits federal disaster relief reimbursement funds to the Department of Education when the Department expends Department funds for purposes deemed reimbursable by federal moneys, regardless of whether the original appropriation for the Department funds has lapsed.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     Your Committee finds that in the past the Department of Education has had to expend Department funds, appropriated for other purposes, to provide disaster relief.  When this occurs, the Department attempts to obtain the maximum reimbursement of federal funds allowed.  However, presently, federal reimbursement funds cannot be reallocated to an appropriation that has lapsed.  This measure will authorize the Department to use federal reimbursement funds to replace the original Department funds and to expend those funds for the originally appropriated purpose.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical amendment for purposes of 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. 1231, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1231, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair