STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1613

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 1131

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services & Homelessness and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1131, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OHANA ZONES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to enhance the State's efforts to address the homelessness issue by:

(1) Amending the Ohana Zones Pilot Program, enacted by Act 209, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, to:

(A) Expand the number of Ohana Zone locations from three to six sites on Oahu and requiring, if the program capacity permits, two sites on the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui;

(B) Delete the deadline to establish evaluation timetables, criteria, and processes for the Ohana Zones Pilot Program;

(C) Add additional requirements for the reports on the Ohana Zones Pilot Program to be submitted to the Legislature; and

(D) Extend the sunset date for the Ohana Zones Pilot Program; and

(2) Appropriating $500,000 for each year of the fiscal biennium 2019-2021 for the Ohana Zones Pilot Program's staffing, facility construction, provision of services, and administration costs and including a proviso for direct grants to a non-profit organization based in an Ohana Zone.

The Hawaii Kai Homeless Task Force, LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and an individual submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of the Attorney General, Department of Human Services, Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i, and Chair of the Maui County Council submitted comments on this measure.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Including private property owned by nonprofit organizations under a public-private partnership as potential Ohana Zone locations;

(2) Deleting the appropriation proviso allowing a direct grant to a nonprofit organization based in an Ohana Zone; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services & Homelessness and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1131, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1131, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services & Homelessness and Housing,

____________________________ TOM BROWER, Chair

______________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair