STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2406

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2096

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2096 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to satisfy state and federal class action settlement agreements requiring the Department of Human Services to implement a foster care maintenance payment system that complies with the federal Child Welfare Act, increase clothing allowance payments, reimburse certain caregivers and beneficiaries for past inadequate benefit payments, and comply with additional settlement terms.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and one individual.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committees find that despite inflation and the high cost of living in Hawaii, the monthly foster care maintenance payments have remained largely unchanged since the Legislature established the payment in 1990.  Your Committees further find that federal and state class action lawsuits, filed to address the inadequacy of foster care maintenance payments, have resulted in court orders requiring the Department of Human Services to increase basic board rate and clothing allowance payments, periodically review and update the basic board rate in the future, provide additional benefit and assistance information to caregivers, and reimburse certain caregivers and beneficiaries for past inadequacies in benefit payments.  Your Committees note that an appropriation from the Legislature is necessary to pay for certain payments provided under the federal and state settlement agreements.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation amount to allow the Department of the Attorney General to determine the specific amount to be appropriated;

 

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2096, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2096, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

________________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

 

________________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair