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Committee advances bill to create Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program within DHS
Summary
The committee advanced HB 2284 to establish a state Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program housed in the Department of Human Services; DCCA and DHS witnesses supported the concept and answered operational questions about federal program interactions.
The House panel voted to advance HB 2284, a bill to establish the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program in the Department of Human Services to aid qualifying households with energy bills.
The Division of Consumer Advocacy (DCCA) and DHS testified in support. "We stand in strong support of this administration bill," Michelangelo, the DCCA executive director, told the committee. DHS staff described how the program would interact with federal benefits such as TANF and LIHEAP and said federal funding shifts have reduced available assistance; DHS noted recent program funding had dropped to "about 8,000,000 for everyone." Committee members asked whether rules could be written to avoid double benefits and how existing programs would be coordinated.
After questions, the committee moved to decision making and adopted the chair's recommendation "to pass with amendments," recording support from the chair, vice chair and multiple representatives. The committee asked staff to blank budget amounts in the draft and to include clarifying committee report language.
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