STAND. COM. REP. NO.  131-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2022

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health & Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2022 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD SUPPORT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require the State to pass specified amounts of child support moneys collected by the State through to a family receiving public assistance for the benefit of the child rather than hold back the amounts as reimbursement for services and assistance provided.  This measure also directs the Department of Human Services to disregard passed-through amounts in determining income for purposes of benefit eligibility.

 

     Hawaii Children's Action Network, Hawaii Women's Coalition, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, Domestic Violence Action Center, and one concerned individual supported this measure.  The Department of the Attorney General and Department of Human Services provided comments.

 

     Your Committee finds that twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have adopted child support pass-through laws or policies that have shown benefits for state governments.  Your Committee notes the concerns raised by the Department of the Attorney General regarding the administrative costs to the Child Support Enforcement Agency that may accompany implementation of this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2022, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2022, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health & Human Services,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair