STAND. COM. REP. NO. 390

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1127

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1127 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation from the general revenues of the State of Hawaii for fiscal year 2020-2021 to address the budget shortfall for the general support for the general assistance program (HMS 204) in the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and related economic crisis, current appropriations to the Department of Human Services' General Assistance (GA) program are insufficient to meet the needs of the high number of GA recipients. Your Committee further finds that the GA program is fully funded by the State, and that there are no federal funds available to support the program. Your Committee concludes that additional appropriations are urgently needed to cover the program's funding shortfall.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1127 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair