STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1514-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.C.R. No. 81

S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 81, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN TO MAINTAIN AND UTILIZE THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY STANDARD AS A FRAMEWORK TO EVALUATE PROGRAMS AND DEVELOP PUBLIC POLICY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request that the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Woman maintain access to and the accuracy of the self-sufficiency standard.

Your Committee finds that the national Family Economic Self-sufficiency Project utilizes a self-sufficiency standard that can calculate the bare-minimum costs for housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, miscellaneous items (including clothing, shoes, household items, telephone, etc.) and federal, state, and local taxes that Hawaii families face. This self-sufficiency standard is a useful tool that can be used by government policy makers, business leaders, service providers, educators, and the non-profit sector to improve the way they serve low-income families in Hawaii.

This concurrent resolution requests that the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women maintain access to and the accuracy of the self-sufficiency standard, thereby allowing other agencies and groups, including every state government agency assisting low-income households, to utilize the standard and identify other areas where the standard may be used.

Your Committee received testimony in strong support of this concurrent resolution from the Hawaii Commission on the Status of Women, University of Hawaii, National Association of Social Workers, Hawaii State AFL-CIO, University of Hawaii Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Standard Advisory Committee, and Parents and Children Together. Testimony in support of this concurrent resolution was also received from the Department of Human Services, Office of Community Services, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and several individuals.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 81, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

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

 

____________________________

MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair