STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1391

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 1137

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 1137, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SPOUSE AND CHILD ABUSE SPECIAL FUND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the cap for the Spouse and Child Abuse Special Fund to allow up to $5,000,000 of federal reimbursements received from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, to be retained in the year following the fiscal year in which Family First Prevention Services funds and Title IV-E funds were expended.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and Domestic Violence Action Center.

Your Committee finds that approximately $5,000,000 in federal Title IV-E reimbursements are returned by the Department of Human Services to the general fund when those reimbursements are received in the fiscal year after the funds were expended, partially because the State and federal fiscal years are not on the same twelve-month cycle. Your Committee finds that allowing the Department of Human Services to retain the amount returned will provide the Department with a stable and predictable source of non-federal funds eligible for federal reimbursement to administer programs and services that prevent, reduce, and respond to the impacts or incidents of spouse abuse and child abuse and neglect.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the increased cap for the Spouse and Child Abuse Special Fund to an unspecified amount;

(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 S.B. No. 1137, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1137, S.D. 2, 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