STAND. COM. REP. NO. 526-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1662

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1662 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a statewide homelessness shelter and housing data clearinghouse to be administered by the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender; Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu; The Institute for Human Services, Inc.; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Budget and Finance, and Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that there is no coordinated, statewide information system that tracks data related to homelessness. Your Committee further finds that establishing a statewide data clearinghouse to share homelessness information will provide many benefits, including identifying and reporting on gaps where homelessness services, shelter, or housing are required but not available; inform policymakers on where funding may be directed to address those gaps; and provide helpful information to the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness, which was established to advise planning and policy on homelessness issues.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the statewide homelessness shelter and housing data clearinghouse shall pull client-level data from existing databases;

(2) Specifying that the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness may consult with other state departments or agencies to address issues relating to data security and client consent concerns in the statewide homelessness shelter and housing data clearinghouse;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1662, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1662, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair