STAND. COM. REP. NO.  881

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1776

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1776 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to help prevent inmates from receiving public assistance that they are not entitled to by requiring:

 

     (1)  The Department of Public Safety (DPS) to provide the Department of Human Services (DHS) with a monthly report listing newly admitted inmates; and

 

     (2)  DHS to identify the status of each inmate on the monthly list with respect to the inmate's current receipt of public assistance.

 

     Waianae Community Outreach, HOPE for a New Beginning Shelter, and a concerned individual supported this bill.  DHS and DPS submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee recognizes that in addition to potentially saving the state money by stopping public assistance payments to inmates who are not eligible to receive them, this measure will also help protect families of inmates still receiving public assistance from being unintentionally overpaid, which can result in a reduction of future benefits for those families through no fault of their own.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1776, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1776, H.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair