STAND. COM. REP. NO.  330

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1445

      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. 1445 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require any continuum of care to offer a stipend to volunteers assisting in the point-in-time count conducted annually to determine the number of homeless individuals in the State, as a condition of receiving federal homeless assistance from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Hawaii Kai Homeless Task Force and two individuals testified in support of this measure.  FACE/Housing Now Coalition and PHOCUSED opposed this measure.  The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness and Department of Human Services commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Authorizing, rather than requiring, a continuum of care to offer a stipend to volunteers assisting in the point-in-time count; and

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2075, to facilitate further discussion on this measure.

In its discussion, your Committee noted that the Office of Elections also provides compensation for its volunteers.  Section 11-76, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires that precinct officials and related election day nonprofit groups or employees be compensated pursuant to a schedule established by the Chief Election Officer.  Section 3-172-66, Hawaii Administrative Rules, sets forth a compensation schedule and provides flexibility in the stipend amounts, based on certain conditions.

     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. 1445, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1445, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair