STAND. COM. REP. 303

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 254

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 254 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Establish a dedicated source of funding for nonschool-hour programs for children and youth by allocating funds from the Tobacco Settlement Special Fund; and

(2) Appropriate funds for nonschool-hour programs.

The Office of Youth Services, Blueprint for Change, Drug-Free Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Department of Budget and Finance submitted comments.

Your Committees find that many children are unsupervised in the afternoon and early evening hours and that rates of juvenile crime, drug use, and experimentation with tobacco, alcohol, and sex increase during this period. Nonschool programs keep youth in a safe, positive environment, and prevent or reduce risk factors.

 

Your Committees respectfully request the Committee on Finance and any other interested parties to investigate the possibility of obtaining funds from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Many states, including Hawaii, had unused TANF funds that were returned to the federal government.

Your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the appropriation amounts to $1 to promote further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, conformity, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 254, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 254, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair

____________________________

MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair