STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2270

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2469

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health and Judiciary and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2469 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE EMERGENCY AND BUDGET RESERVE FUND,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate moneys from the emergency and budget reserve fund of the State of Hawaii to maintain levels of programs determined to be essential to education, public health and public welfare.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by The Judiciary, State of Hawaii, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, County of Kauai Agency on Elderly Affairs, County of Hawaii Office of Aging, City and County of Honolulu's Elderly Affairs Division, Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP Hawaii), National Association of Social Workers, Hawaii Chapter, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the Special Education Center of Hawaii (SECOH), Lanakila Pacific, Catholic Charities of Hawaii, Gregory House Programs, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Child & Family Service, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Moiliili Community Center, Maui Special Olympics, Hale Mahaolu, Hawaii Centers For Independent Living, The Arc of Kona, the Arc of Maui County, Easter Seals of Hawaii, Goodwill Industries of Hawaii, Inc., Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Family Forum, Hawaii Waiver Providers Association, Ohana Health Plan, Special Education Advisory Council, Waikiki Community Center, The Salvation Army Honolulu Advisory Board, Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, Good Beginnings Alliance, Blueprint for Change, Protecting Hawaii's Ohana, Children, Under Served, Elderly and Disabled (PHOCUSED), Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Family Law Clinic, dba Ala Kuola, and 66 individuals.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Education and one individual.  Comments about this measure were submitted by the Department of Budget and Finance and one individual.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committees find that in 1999, the Legislature established the emergency and budget reserve fund as a temporary supplemental source of funding for the State of Hawaii in times of emergency, economic downturn, or unforeseen reduction in revenues.  As set forth in section 328L-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, specific purposes for the fund include the maintaining of levels of programs determined to be essential to public health, safety, welfare, and education.  Specifically prohibited from appropriation allowances is funding items in collective bargaining contracts.

 

     Your Committees also find that difficult economic times and declining tax revenues have resulted in budget cuts for all state services, and that some of the most vulnerable and needy members of the community will be the hardest hit by the reduction in services due to budget shortfalls.  Your Committees further find that funding of certain programs and entities such as community centers, domestic violence shelters, Oahu Safe House, the Shelter Plus program and housing placement services allows members of the community to continue working as opposed to being forced to quit their jobs due to economic downturn or personal difficulties.  Funding programs such as respite services, Kupuna Care Program, Volunteer Legal Services, Legal Aid, Hawaii Family Law Clinic and the Employment Core Services Program promotes the hiring or retention of current staff positions, all of which in turn keep our citizens working and fosters a stronger economy.  Your Committees have left all appropriations amounts blank for further consideration, but find that the amounts that are needed to maintain essential services are as follows:

 

     (1)  $350,000 for respite services;

 

     (2)  $4,000,000 to supplement the Healthy Start program;

 

     (3)  $200,000 for Catholic Charities;

 

     (4)  $100,000 for the Kapahulu Center;

 

     (5)  $50,000 for the Moiliili Community Center;

 

     (6)  $120,000 for the Waikiki Community Center;

 

     (7)  $2,963,411 to maintain the Kupuna Care program;

 

     (8)  $220,000 for the Aging and Disability Resource Center;

 

     (9)  $13,000,000 for mental health services;

 

    (10)  $500,000 for the Partnerships in Community Living program;

 

    (11)  $3,500,000 for direct healthcare to the uninsured;

 

    (12)  $2,400,000 for substance abuse treatment;

 

    (13)  $250,000 for the Healthy Aging Partnerships program;

 

    (14)  $332,000 for the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center's Emergency Department;

 

    (15)  $550,000 for the Hawaii Immigrant Health Initiative program;

 

    (16)  $600,000 for the Hawaii Children's Health Care program;

 

    (17)  $762,500 for domestic violence shelters;

 

    (18)  $233,280 for the Hale Mahaolu Adult program;

 

    (19)  $8,400,000 for disproportionate share hospital costs;

 

    (20)  $7,000,000 for Medicaid provider reimbursements;

 

    (21)  $300,000 for outstationed eligibility worker services;

 

    (22)  $40,525 for outreach services;

 

    (23)  $164,000 for outreach services to locate uninsured children;

 

    (24)  $125,000 for outreach services to locate uninsured adults;

 

    (25)  $420,595 for housing placement services;

 

    (26)  $500,000 for the Shelter Plus care program;

 

    (27)  $500,000 for the Oahu Safe House program;

 

    (28)  Undetermined amounts for adult dental services, Medicaid, child care, general assistance, HIV/AIDS services and Blueprint for Change;

 

    (29)  $2,700,000 for domestic violence services;

 

    (30)  $400,000 for Volunteer Legal Services to provide pro bono legal services for indigent persons;

 

    (31)  $720,000 for Legal Aid Society to provide general civil legal services;

 

    (32)  $282,200 for the Hawaii Family Law Clinic to provide services to obtain temporary restraining orders;

 

    (33)  $254,565 for Catholic Charities to provide intra-familial sex assault services;

 

    (34)  $320,000 for the Children's Alliance to provide sex assault services;

 

    (35)  $1,800,000 for the Employment Core Services program;

 

    (36)  $75,000 for the Weed and Seed program in Ewa Beach;

 

    (37)  $466,000 for the Kapiolani Medical Center's operation of the Women and Children's Sex Abuse Treatment Center for sex assault services statewide; and

 

    (38)  $800,000 for non-school hours programs.

 

     Your Committees have made technical, nonsubstantive stylistic changes for purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health and Judiciary and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2469, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2469, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health and Judiciary and Government Operations,

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 

 

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair