STAND. COM. REP. NO. 86

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 809

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 809 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to minimize the adverse effects of homelessness on children by establishing a task force to coordinate resources available to homeless children; establishing and making appropriations to the kokua na keiki special fund; and creating an administrative grant program to allow the Department of Human Services to award grants for programs that benefit homeless children.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Office of Youth Services, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and Malama O Kamali‘i Makamae.  The Department of Human Services, the Department of Budget and Finance, and the State Procurement Office submitted testimony in opposition to the measure.  Copies of written testimony are available for review on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that homeless children are vulnerable to suffering from negative consequences of homelessness that can adversely impact them for the rest of their life, such as poor health, exposure to violence, poor academic performance, and lack of positive social interactions.  A task force that consists of knowledgeable, experienced, and compassionate members can better coordinate and develop resources and services for the State's homeless children. 

 

     In light of the current financial crisis, your Committee has amended this measure to provide for appropriations from available federal funds.  Additionally, your Committee has amended this measure to adopt recommendations provided by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Office of Youth Services, and the Hawaii Youth Network. 

 

     Specifically, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Providing that an appropriation shall be made only if the Department of Human Services determines that federal funds that can be appropriately expended for the purposes of this measure are available;

 

     (2)  Adopting the recommendations of testifiers to add to the membership of the task force the Office of Youth Services, a representative from the leeward Native Hawaiian community, and a representative from an organization that provides shelter, street outreach, or transitional living services to runaway and homeless youth; and

 

     (3)  Adding the topic of supportive mental services for homeless youth to the task force's discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 809, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 809, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

		____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair