STAND. COM. REP. NO.221

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1580

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1580 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADVOCACY FOR HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Human Services (DHS) for various programs, as follows:

(1) To provide required state funds to match federal funds for non-recurring adoption expenses and to provide funds for a contract with a nonprofit legal services provider for legal assistance to adoptive families;

(2) As a grant-in-aid to a nonprofit legal services provider to assist individuals on a case-by-case basis to obtain supplemental security income benefits for at least one hundred applicants; and

(3) As a grant-in-aid to a nonprofit legal services provider to assist the DHS to maximize federal benefits available to Hawaii residents who are dually eligible for benefits under Medicare and Medicaid.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the DHS and Legal Aid Society of Hawaii (Legal Aid).

Your Committee finds that over the recent years, Legal Aid has worked in partnership with the State to implement a variety of projects which benefit their clients and the economy of the whole State. Legal Aid's work last year produced $6.00 in out-of-state revenues for every dollar received from the State in support of Legal Aid's work. In addition, your Committee further finds that the state budget saved approximately $1.65 for every dollar appropriated to the Legal Aid.

This measure would expand Legal Aid's work to maximize federal dollars under the Medicare and Medicaid programs and other social service programs funded in part by federal money.

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. 1580 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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