STAND. COM. REP. NO. 116

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1750

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1750 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES PROGRAMS AND FUNDING EXPENDITURES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the standing committees having jurisdiction over fiscal matters in both the Senate and the House of Representatives as joint legislative oversight committees to oversee and evaluate Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) fund program implementation and expenditures.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the HGEA/AFSCME Local 152 and two individuals. Comments in regard to this measure were submitted by the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that the issue of unspent or misspent TANF funds has become increasingly important as more families find themselves in need of supportive programs and services. Examining the use of unspent and misspent state TANF funds now is critical. Therefore, your Committee believes that legislative oversight is necessary to evaluate TANF program implementation and fund expenditures.

Your Committee has amended this measure by adding the legislative committees having jurisdiction over human services to assist with legislative oversight of the TANF program implementation and fund expenditures, and by requiring one round of oversight hearings on all islands of the State.

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. 1750, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1750, 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