Bill Text: HI HB2476 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii House Bill 2476 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Emergency and Budget Reserve Fund; Appropriation

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-25 - (H) Referred to FIN, referral sheet 5 [HB2476 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-HB2476-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2476
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the emergency and budget reserve fund.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. In 1999, the legislature established the emergency and budget reserve fund as a temporary supplemental source of funding for the State of Hawaii in times of emergency, economic downturn, or unforeseen reduction in revenues. As set forth in section 328L-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, specific purposes for the fund include the maintaining of levels of programs determined to be essential to public health, safety, welfare, and education.

The legislature finds that the national and global economic crisis has caused significant economic problems in numerous industries in the state, including the airline, cruise ship, tourist, and construction industries. Mass layoffs have been reported by an increasing number of Hawaii businesses statewide, from the agricultural sector to the medical services sector. Hawaii's automobile dealers have cut fifteen per cent of their workforce and that percentage could double in the future. Financial uncertainty has caused decreased visitor arrivals and low hotel occupancy rates leading to layoffs and reductions in employee hours. Furthermore, recent forecasts show that the situation will worsen with a continued decline in jobs, personal income, and visitor arrivals, and with rising inflation.

Difficult economic times and declining tax revenues have resulted in budget cuts for all state services. State departments have been asked to lower their budget proposals by up to twenty per cent. The department of education faces a possible $70,000,000 shortfall for the next academic year and funding has discontinued for science textbooks and materials, programs for literacy training for learning-disabled children, as well as for speech pathologists, occupational, and physical therapists, and more than two hundred other positions.

The department of health has projected a $25,000,000 shortfall for mental health services and a $5,400,000 shortfall for developmental disabilities services in the current fiscal year. Funding has been eliminated for the healthy start program, totaling approximately $22,000,000 for the biennium. Additionally, the governor has discontinued funding for the Hawaii children's health care program, which may leave an estimated one thousand five hundred gap group children without access to affordable health care.

The current and impending situation jeopardizes the safety net of basic human services, health, and education needs for Hawaii's residents and families. And while all of Hawaii's residents will be affected by the situation, gap group families and families closest to the poverty line will suffer the most.

The legislature finds that expenditures from the emergency and budget reserve fund established by section 328L-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, are needed to meet the conditions of emergency, economic downturn, and unforeseen reduction in revenues that the State currently faces. Further, the legislature finds that the appropriations in this Act are consistent with the purposes of the emergency and budget reserve fund.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate moneys from the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii to maintain the levels of programs determined to be essential to education, public health, and public welfare.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $463,340 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for respite services.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $4,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 to supplement the healthy start program.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $470,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 to provide funding for grants pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to be distributed as follows:

(1) Catholic Charities Hawaii $200,000

(2) Kapahulu Center $100,000

(3) Moiliili Community Center $ 50,000

(4) Waikiki Community Center $120,000

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $2,963,411 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for the purposes of maintaining kupuna care services.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $220,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for the Aging and Disability Resource Center.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 7. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $7,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for the developmental disabilities medicaid waiver program.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 8. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $13,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011, for mental health services.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 9. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011, for the partnerships in community living program.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 10. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $3,500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for direct health care to the uninsured, which may include primary medical, dental, and behavioral health care.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 11. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii, as a substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant, the sum of $2,400,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for substance abuse treatment.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 12. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for the healthy aging partnerships program.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 13. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii the sum of $332,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center to support financial losses for its emergency room services.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 14. There is appropriated out of the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii as a grant pursuant to chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the sum of $550,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for the Hawaii immigrant health initiative program.