STAND. COM. REP. NO. 363-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1831
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred H.B. No. 1831 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WELFARE REFORM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to increase general fund
spending on the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program to
reflect current federal poverty levels.

     The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Parents
and Children Together, Na Loio-Immigrant Rights and Public
Interest Legal Center, the Honolulu Community Action Program,
Inc., the Kokua Council, the American Friends Service Committee,
the National Association of Social Workers, the Affordable
Housing and Homeless Alliance, and an individual testified in
support of this bill.  The Department of Human Services (DHS)
testified in opposition to this bill.

     Your Committee finds that the federal poverty level
guideline that the DHS currently uses is from 1993 and is
outdated.  In order to meet current federal poverty level
spending, DHS's payment to needy families needs to increase 21
percent.  The increase to current federal poverty levels results
in an additional $95 per month for a family of three.  Based on
DHS's current caseload, a 21 percent increase in payment costs
results in a total increase expenditure of $16,047,207 for DHS.


 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 363-00
                                 Page 2

 
     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 1831 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and
be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair