STAND. COM. REP. NO. 511-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2476

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. 2476 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SPOUSAL SUPPORT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow obligees under an order solely for spousal support to elect to enforce the order pursuant to the State's garnishment laws, rather than through the clerk of the court or the Child Support Enforcement Agency.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Health Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that it is in the public interest to make it faster and easier for an obligee to receive spousal support by establishing a mechanism to allow an obligee to elect to enforce an order for spousal support through garnishment, rather than through the clerk of the court.

Your Committee notes the concerns raised by the Department of the Attorney General in its testimony, stating that existing law prohibits the Child Support Enforcement Agency from enforcing an order solely for spousal support and that certain provisions in this measure may incorrectly suggest that spouses or former spouses have the option of enforcing spousal support orders through the Child Support Enforcement Agency.

Your Committee has therefore amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting references to assignments being made by the Child Support Enforcement Agency or other entity and deleting section 2 of the measure entirely;

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

(3) 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. 2476, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2476, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair