CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 54-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2204

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2204, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of Human Services, beginning no later than January 1, 2019, to:

(1) Convene a task force to revise and restructure the welfare payment structure to incentivize qualifying welfare recipients to advance in their careers while retaining their beneficiary status; and

(2) Reestablish the Exit and Retention Bonus Program to encourage welfare recipients to transition back into the workforce.

Upon consideration, your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting provisions requiring the Department of Human Services to convene the task force to revise and restructure the welfare payment structure;

(2) Removing the time frame in which the Department of Human Services is required to reestablish the Exit and Retention Bonus Program;

(3) Specifying an appropriation amount of $400,000 for fiscal year 2018-2019 to reestablish the Exit and Retention Bonus Program;

(4) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2018; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2204, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2204, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ JOSH GREEN Chair	____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO Co-Chair
____________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA Co-Chair	____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON Co-Chair
____________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO Co-Chair	____________________________ BERTRAND KOBAYASHI Co-Chair