SB1101 SD2

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that children, particularly young children, are the most vulnerable during, and at times victimized by, homelessness. While many children develop some resiliency to their situation and are able to overcome the ravages of homelessness, the deficits of homelessness often lead to poor health, exposure to violence, poor academic performance, and a lack of positive social interactions.

The purpose of this Act is to minimize the negative impact of homelessness on children by establishing a task force to coordinate resources to benefit children who are homeless.

SECTION 2. (a) There is established a task force to coordinate public and private resources to benefit homeless children.

(b) The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall convene the task force. The task force shall:

(1) Be co-chaired by the chair of the senate human services and public housing committee and the chair of the house human services and housing committee; and

(2) Include:

(A) The superintendent of education or the superintendent of education's designee;

(B) The director of health or the director of health's designee;

(D) Four members representing the four counties appointed by the mayor of each county;

(E) Four members representing not-for-profit organizations that serve Hawaii's homeless families, two appointed by the president of the senate and two appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(F) The chairs of the senate and house education committees; and

(G) The chairs of the senate and house health committees.

(c) The task force shall establish findings and develop recommendations on how the State can coordinate public and private resources to benefit homeless children.

(d) The task force shall submit an interim report, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session, and shall submit a final report, including its findings and recommendations and any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2011 regular session.

(e) The task force shall include an accounting of the effectiveness of the endorsed programs, as well as any suggestions for preventing children from becoming homeless, in its reports to the legislature pursuant to subsection (d).

SECTION 3. (a) There is established within the state treasury the kokua na keiki special fund to be administered and expended by the department of human services, and into which shall be deposited:

(1) Appropriations made by the legislature into the fund; and

(2) Any contributions by private entities.

(b) The moneys in the special fund shall be used by the department of human services to:

(1) Establish and hire a coordinator of services for homeless children position; and

(2) Establish and hire one support staff position to assist the coordinator of services for homeless children.

(c) The moneys in the special fund may also be used by the department of human services to provide grants for innovative programs that benefit homeless children or that help coordinate services for the benefit of homeless children; provided that the grants are awarded in accordance with section 4.

SECTION 4. (a) Applications for grants shall be made to the department and contain the information as the office shall require. At a minimum, the applicant shall show:

(1) The name of the requesting organization or individual;

(2) A written description of the specific program or service to be supported by the grant;

(3) The cost of the grant; and

(4) That the grant shall be used for activities that are consistent with the purposes of this Act.

(b) Grants shall only be awarded if:

(1) The applicant has applied for or received all required applicable licenses and permits to conduct the activities or provide the services for which a grant is awarded;

(2) The applicant agrees to comply with applicable federal, state, and county laws;

(3) The grant shall not be used for purposes of entertainment or perquisites;

(4) All activities and improvements undertaken with funds received shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and county statutes and ordinances, including applicable building codes and agency rules; and

(5) The applicant will indemnify and hold harmless the department, the State of Hawaii, its officers, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims arising out of or resulting from activities carried out or projects undertaken with funds provided hereunder, and procure sufficient insurance to provide this indemnification if requested to do so by the department.

(1) Be:

(A) A for-profit subsidiary of a nonprofit organization incorporated under the law of the State;

(B) A nonprofit community-based organization determined to be exempt from federal income taxation by the Internal Revenue Service;

(D) An individual, who in the department's determination, is able to provide the services or activities proposed in the application for a grant;

(2) In the case of a nonprofit organization, have a governing board whose members have no material conflict of interest and serve without compensation, have bylaws or policies that describe the manner in which business is conducted and policies relating to nepotism and management of potential conflict of interest situations, and employ or contract with no two or more members of a family or kin of the first or second degree of consanguinity unless specifically permitted by the department;

(3) Agree to make available to the department all records the applicant may have relating to the operation of the applicant's activity, business, or enterprise, to allow the department to monitor the applicant's compliance with the purpose of this chapter; and

(4) Establish, to the satisfaction of the department, that sufficient funds are available for the effective operation of the activity, business, or enterprise for the purpose for which the grant is awarded.

(d) Every grant shall be:

(1) Monitored by the department to ensure compliance with this section and the purposes and intent of the grant; and

(2) Evaluated annually to determine whether the grant attained the intended results in the manner contemplated.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, to be paid into the kokua na keiki special fund.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the kokua na keiki special fund the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for the purpose described in section 3.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect upon its approval

and shall be repealed on June 30, 2011; provided that sections 5 and 6 shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1101
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII