House committee backs bill to fund DHS SNAP staffing and performance incentives

House Committee on Human Services and Homelessness Chair Lisa Martin on Thursday recommended amending and passing SB 960 SD1, a bill that would appropriate state funds to the Department of Human Services to strengthen administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by adding staff and authorizing pay differentials.

The measure was prompted by testimony from service providers and DHS officials that high vacancy rates and limited pay are harming access to federal SNAP benefits. "SNAP is at great risk," said Betty Lou Larsen of Catholic Charities Hawaii, urging lawmakers to prioritize funding so the department can "fill those vacancies" and avoid service breakdowns. Jeanette Hayes, SNAP administrator for DHS, said the department "stands on our testimony and appreciate[s] all the support."

Why it matters: SNAP brings federal dollars into Hawaii that pay for groceries for eligible residents; witnesses told the committee that staffing shortages are reducing enrollment speed and accuracy and that modest investments could yield large federal returns. Nate Hicks of Hawaii Public Health Institute told the committee that hiring even one additional eligibility worker could potentially bring an estimated $2 million more in federal benefits to Hawaii families.

Committee discussion focused on the causes of vacancy and the mix of possible fixes. Scott Morshige, division administrator for benefit, employment and support services at DHS, described DHS' use of a "Wiki Wiki" hiring process to speed recruitment for entry-level positions but said retention is undermined by low take-home pay and turnover to private-sector jobs. DHS said it is piloting efforts to recruit retired eligibility workers and interns, to contract for clerical tasks and to create call-center efficiencies; it is also working with a consultant to quantify the staffing shortfall.

Committee members asked for hard numbers. DHS said it would provide specific vacancy counts and the department's separate budget request for a 5% performance incentive, which DHS estimated at about $1,100,000 per year for existing positions, to the committee via the chair's office. DHS officials warned that money already requested for the department's new eligibility system (the Benefit Eligibility Solution, or BES) cannot be repurposed for staffing because the appropriations are for system contractors and implementation.

The committee adopted the chair's recommendation to pass SB 960 SD1 with technical amendments. The committee instructed staff to remove explicit funding amounts from the bill text and to include DHS' itemized $1.1 million incentive proposal in the committee report for consideration by later budget stages. The committee recorded a unanimous approval in the committee roll call vote.

The measure now moves to the next legislative step with amendments and a committee report that will include DHS' staffing and incentive detail.