HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

33

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT OF CONTRACTS EXECUTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, the expenditure of public money should always be subject to the highest levels of accountability and transparency; and

 

     WHEREAS, concern and alarm has been raised regarding the necessity, procurement, awarding, and extension of contracts currently administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS); and

 

     WHEREAS, Benton and Associates has $3,200,000 contract to integrate services and maximize federal revenue use within DHS, which has created an additional layer of administrative decision making within DHS at a significant cost to taxpayers; and

 

     WHEREAS, NorthStar, LLC, appears to have been receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, in the amount of $2,200,00, to provide services with which they have no experience, a requirement for TANF-related contracts for services; and

 

WHEREAS, the extension of the Northstar, LLC, contract by DHS appears to not fairly take into consideration the results and effectiveness of other organizations that provide similar services; and

 

     WHEREAS, Report No. 06-02, entitled, Audit of the Department of Human Services' Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, issued in January 2006 by the Office of the Auditor revealed several concerns and weaknesses in the procurement practices of DHS with regards to TANF funding; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Auditor recommended that, among other things, DHS improve its contracts for services to ensure that each contract:

     (1)  Is properly justified and clearly linked to a documented objective;

     (2)  Provides quantified deliverables or outcomes, which are reported at fixed intervals to DHS; and

     (3)  Provides for consequences if the services delivered do not meet the agreed upon criteria; and

 

     WHEREAS, it appears that the conclusions and recommendations made by the Auditor in Report No. 06-02 issued in January 2006 regarding the TANF program could be extended to other contracts executed by DHS; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the Senate concurring, that the Auditor is requested to conduct a fiscal and management audit of contracts executed by the Department of Human Services; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human Services is requested to fully cooperate with the Auditor in the conduct of the audit; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to report findings and recommendations, including any necessary proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor and the Director of Human Services.

 

 

 

Report Title: 

Department of Human Services contracts.