STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1104

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   S.B. No. 964

      S.D. 1

      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 S.B. No. 964, S.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; and

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

The Department of Human Services, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Waikiki Health, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Clarifying that the extension of the effective date of Act 234, SLH 2016, to July 1, 2018, does not apply to subsection (c) of Section 6 of Act 234, SLH 2016.  This subsection took effect on July 1, 2016, and requires DHS to work with provider agencies to implement the Act; 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 Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 964, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 964, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair