CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 81

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 471

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 471, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

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 measure is to:

(1) Appropriate funds to homeless programs, including outreach, rapid re-housing, housing first, family assessment centers, and diversion programs and the coordinated statewide homelessness initiative; and

(2) Establish a long-term rental assistance pilot program for individuals over sixty years old who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Your Committee on Conference recognizes that Hawaii must prioritize programs and services that are the most cost-effective and target the most vulnerable populations, such as rapid re-housing, housing first, family assessment centers, and homeless outreach and civil legal services stored property and debris removal services, and the State rental supplement program. These programs and services are critically necessary to address homelessness in Hawaii. Your Committee on Conference notes that funding for stored property and debris removal services and the State rent supplement program are also core homeless services and programs that should be funded.

Accordingly, your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing language that appropriated funds to the law-enforcement assisted diversion and coordinated statewide homelessness initiative.

(2) Removing language that established and appropriated funds for a long-term assistance pilot program for elderly who are homeless;

(3) Inserting specific appropriation amounts for the Department of Human Services for the housing first program, rapid re-housing program, family assessment centers, and homeless outreach and civil legal services and making a conforming amendment to clarify that the monies are to be expended by the Department of Human Services;

(4) Inserting an appropriation of $3,000,000 to fund stored property and debris removal services and authorizing the Department of Human Services to contract with another entity to perform any related services;

(5) Inserting an appropriation of $1,000,000 for the State rental supplement program, under the administration of the Hawaii Public Housing Agency;

(6) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2019; and

(7) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 S.B. No. 471, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 471, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA Co-Chair	____________________________ RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN Chair
____________________________ TOM BROWER Co-Chair	____________________________ STANLEY CHANG Co-Chair
____________________________ NADINE K. NAKAMURA Co-Chair	____________________________ BREENE HARIMOTO Co-Chair