STAND. COM. REP. NO.  56

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1281

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1281 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a three-year Work-for-a-Day Pilot Program to connect homeless individuals with work opportunities and with service providers, and appropriate funds for this purpose.

The Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice; Partners in Care; Ho‘omana Pono, LLC.; Hawaii Youth Services Network; and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness and the Department of Human Services commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Amending the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2075, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

Should the Committee on Finance consider this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $300,000 for each year of the 2017-2019 Fiscal Biennium to establish the Work-for-a-Day Pilot Program.

     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 H.B. No. 1281, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1281, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Labor & Public Employment.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair