STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 609-24
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2024
RE: H.B. No. 2326
H.D. 1
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Housing and Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 2326 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OHANA ZONES,"
beg leave to report as follows:
Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness; one member of the Maui County Council; Catholic Charities Hawai‘i; and Hawai‘i True Cost Coalition.
Your Committees
find that the
Ohana Zones Pilot Program is an essential innovative approach that serves and
houses people experiencing homelessness and fills gaps in homeless housing and
services that cannot be done with other sources of funding. Your Committees further find that those
residing in an ohana zone would benefit from mobile clinics that provide health
care services, such as mental health care or dental care. Mobile clinics are a key way to provide a
range of health care services to underserved populations and can reduce
emergency room visits, and the associated financial burden, significantly. Your Committees believe that providing for
mobile clinics for individuals residing in an ohana zone can build on the
success of the Ohana Zone Pilot Program by providing much needed health care
services across ohana zones in the State.
Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:
(1) Inserting contents that:
(A) Explain the purpose and legislative findings of the measure;
(B) Require, and appropriate funds for, the Department of Human Services to purchase, staff, and operate two mobile clinics to serve homeless persons residing in ohana zones;
(2) Deleting the appropriation for the Ohana Zones Pilot Program;
(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and
(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Health & Homelessness that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2326, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2326, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Health & Homelessness,
|
____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair |
|
____________________________ LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair |