STAND. COM. REP. NO. 963

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 492

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 492, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the Department of Human Services Disability Determination Branch.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the Department of Human Services Disability Determination Branch handles more than six thousand initial claims annually. A performance audit of the branch will help to determine whether the criteria used for eligibility determinations is proper, as well as reveal any factors that may unnecessarily contribute to extending processing times of applications.

Your Committee further finds that the audit requested by this measure will require an appropriation of $400,000 in each fiscal year of the 2019-2021 fiscal biennium.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 492, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 492, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair