CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 127

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 933

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 933, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE BUDGET,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate funding for services provided by the nonprofit sector.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Appropriates moneys to award grants for fiscal year 2025‑2026; and

(2) Subjects recipient organizations to certain requirements, including legislative reporting requirements.

Your Committee on Conference recognizes the potentially dire impact that the federal funding freeze imposed by the United States Office of Management and Budget may have on numerous nonprofit organizations in the State that provide critical assistance in health and human services. Your Committee believes that state policymakers must take the initiative to avert such an impact by providing sufficient state funding to make up for any federal funding shortfalls.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by restructuring its contents and:

(1) Appropriating $50,000,000 to the Office of Community Services of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations for the award of grants in accordance with substantially all the requirements of Chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for fiscal year 2025‑2026;

(2) Establishing an evaluation and selection committee to oversee the awarding of grants;

(3) Authorizing the Office of Community Services to contract the services of Aloha United Way, Inc., to assist with the administration and distribution of grant awards;

(4) Appropriating $140,000 to the Office of Community Services to carry out its responsibilities under this measure; and

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2025.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 933, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 933, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ KYLE T. YAMASHITA Chair

____________________________ TROY N. HASHIMOTO Chair