STAND. COM. REP. NO. 433

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 212

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 212 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to establish a permanent Return-to-Home Program to return homeless individuals in the State to families and relatives in their home states.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Office of the Public Defender; The Institute for Human Services, Inc.; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the State Procurement Office.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii continues to face one of the highest per capita rates of homelessness in the nation. Many of these individuals are recent arrivals from out of state, placing additional strain on local outreach and shelter programs. The Return-to-Home Pilot Program, established by Act 94, Session Laws of Hawaii 2023, has successfully assisted over one hundred homeless individuals in voluntarily returning to their home states, reducing demand on local resources. Given its effectiveness, expanding the program with additional resources would further its impact. This measure establishes the Return-to-Home Program as a permanent initiative to ensure continued support for those seeking to return home.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Subjecting, rather than exempting, all entities competing for contracts in the program to a competitive procurement bidding process;

(2) Adding additional requirements for an individual's participation in the Return-to-Home 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 record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 212, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 212, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair