STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1943

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 146

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 146, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO APPLY FOR AND IMPLEMENT THE ELDERLY SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION PROJECT IN THE STATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Human Services to apply for and implement the Elderly Simplified Application Project in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Hawaiʻi Hunger Action Network, Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute, Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi, and one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federally-funded program administered by the Department of Human Services' Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division at the state-level, and is crucial to providing necessary food assistance to some of the State's most economically disadvantaged residents. Your Committee further finds that SNAP's Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) is a demonstration project designed to boost program enrollment among low-income older adults ages sixty years or older by tackling barriers to participation in SNAP, including enhancing program efficiency, simplifying benefit delivery by streamlining the application and certification processes, waiving the recertification interview requirement, allowing for greater flexibility in verification, and extending the certification period to thirty-six months. However, your Committee notes that the State does not participate in ESAP. By requesting the Department of Human Services to implement ESAP in the State, this measure will reduce barriers to accessing SNAP benefits for older adults, increase SNAP enrollment among low‑income seniors, and improve overall food security and health outcomes for the elderly population in the State.

Your Committee acknowledges the concerns raised in testimony by the Department of Human Services that the proposed implementation of the Elderly Simplified Application Project and subsequent increase in the number of SNAP eligible senior households would overload the Department's capacity to process benefit eligibility determinations due to high vacancy rates in their Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division and an outdated eligibility system that is expected to be replaced in 2026. Therefore, amendments to this resolution are necessary to address this concern.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Department of Human Services is requested to apply for and implement the Elderly Simplified Application Project in the State when capable; and

(2) Amending its title accordingly.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 146, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 146, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair