STAND. COM. REP. NO. 679-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2204

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health & Human Services and Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2204 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to reexamine welfare policy in the State by requiring the Department of Human Services to:

(1) Convene a task force to revise and develop a restructured welfare payment system to incentivize welfare recipients to advance in their careers while retaining beneficiary status; and

(2) Re-establish the exit and retention bonus program, which encourages welfare recipients to transition back into the workforce.

Mental Health America of Hawaii, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, and a few concerned individuals supported this measure. The Department of Human Services, American Association of University Women Hawaii, and Hawaii Women's Coalition provided comments.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the task force to assess the effectiveness of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services;

(2) Specifying that the Director of Human Services or the Director's designee shall serve as chairperson of the task force and shall request representatives from various advocacy organizations to comprise the task force;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health & Human Services and Labor & Public Employment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2204, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2204, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health & Human Services and Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair