STAND. COM. REP. NO. 451

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1231

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1231 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SPOUSE AND CHILD ABUSE SPECIAL FUND,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Update the name of the spouse and child abuse special fund;

(2) Exempt the spouse and child abuse special fund from the central services assessment and administrative expense assessment; and

(3) Allow the Department of Human Services to retain reimbursements of federal funds to provide funding for child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention services.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i.

Your Committees find that funds from the spouse and child abuse special fund are used to support crucial activities that are not sufficiently funded from any other source, such as services for minors who are sexually trafficked, counseling and psychoeducation to parents who have abused or neglected their children, and domestic violence fatality reviews. Beginning on October 1, 2019, the federal Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) will permit states the option of using Social Security Title IV-E funds for prevention services.

Your Committees further find that the Department of Human Services plans on taking advantage of this option and would like to be able to retain all FFPSA and Title IV-E reimbursements for needed services in the State. However, under existing state law, the Department is not allowed to retain federal reimbursement funds received in the following fiscal year from which they were expended. This measure allows the Department to retain Title IV-E federal reimbursements in the spouse and child abuse special fund, which will stabilize child welfare program funding.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1231 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services,

________________________________ RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair