RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.

Budget Children Energy Housing

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: NAKAMURA, AMATO, BELATTI, CHUN, GEDEON, GRANDINETTI, HUSSEY, ILAGAN, IWAMOTO, KAHALOA, KEOHOKAPU-LEE LOY, KILA, KITAGAWA, KUSCH, LA CHICA, LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MATSUMOTO, MIYAKE, MORIKAWA, OLDS, PERRUSO, POEPOE, REYES ODA, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TAM, TARNAS, WOODSON
Last action: 2026-03-25
Official status: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific dollar amounts for each type of service.

Funding Increase for Human Services

This bill provides funds to the Department of Human Services to issue supplemental contracts to community-based organizations to address rising costs related to labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and gas.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services for issuing supplemental contracts to community-based organizations to cover increased costs.
Specifies that these funds will be distributed equitably among various services such as child protective services, adult care, vocational rehabilitation, homeless assistance, childcare, self-sufficiency programs, health care payments, and youth programs.

Who It Names or Affects

Community-based organizations providing essential human services.
The Department of Human Services responsible for managing the distribution of funds to these organizations.

Terms To Know

Supplemental contracts: Additional agreements made with community-based organizations to help cover increased costs.
Fiscal year: A period of one year used for budgeting and financial reporting, starting from July 1st in this case.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify exact dollar amounts for the appropriations.
It is unclear how funds will be distributed beyond fiscal year 2026-2027.
The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears to be a placeholder and needs clarification.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to provide supplemental contracts to community-based organizations to cover increased costs related to labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and gas.

Appropriates additional funding for fiscal year 2026-2027 to address rising costs faced by community-based organizations that provide essential human services.

The exact amount of funds appropriated is not specified in the provided text.
The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears incorrect and likely contains an error.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Appropriates specific amounts for various human services programs such as child protective services, adult protective services, vocational rehabilitation, homeless services, childcare support, self-sufficiency services, health care payments, and youth programs.
Requires the Department of Human Services to assess existing multi-year contracts starting in fiscal year 2027-2028 for their financial viability.

The exact dollar amounts appropriated are not specified in the provided text.
The effective date listed as July 1, 3000 appears to be an error or placeholder and is likely incorrect.

Bill History

2026-03-25 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2026-03-25 S
Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3179) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2026-03-18 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, McKelvey, Kanuha, Keohokalole, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2026-03-13 S
The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-18-26 1:00PM; CR 225 & Videoconference.
2026-03-12 S
Referred to HHS, WAM.
2026-03-12 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-12 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 360).
2026-03-10 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Cochran voting no (1) and none excused (0). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1130-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-05 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Perruso.
2026-03-05 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Thursday, 03-05-26 2:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-02-12 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
2026-02-12 H
Reported from HSH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 217-26) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2026-02-03 H
The committee on HSH recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Marten, Olds, Amato, Hartsfield, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-01-29 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH on Tuesday, 02-03-26 9:00AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2026-01-28 H
Referred to HSH, FIN, referral sheet 4
2026-01-26 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2026-01-23 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES.
Community-Based Organizations; Program Costs; Department of Human Services; Appropriation ($)
Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to issue supplemental contracts to community-based organizations to address increases in costs related to labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and gas. For any multi-year contracts entered into or renewed beginning in fiscal year 2027-2028, requires the Department of Human Services to issue a Request for Information to determine whether any existing contract remains fiscally sound and thereafter determine, with the consent of the contractor, whether a new request for proposals should be issued. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2115

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2115

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to human services
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that community-based
organizations across the State provide essential support services on behalf of
the department of human services, including housing assistance, child and adult
protective services, food security programs, vocational rehabilitation, and
care for individuals facing homelessness or crisis.
�
Some of these services are mandated by federal
law, such as making home visits to foster children once a month.
�
Others, such as outreach services to the
homeless, are top priorities for the State.

����
Many of
these state-contracted service providers have struggled to sustain programs
because existing contract rates have remained stagnant for years and do not
reflect the true cost of delivering care.
�
Organizations have attempted to absorb these
gaps through fundraising and reserves, but the widening mismatch between
funding levels and community need threatens the long-term stability of these critical
services.

����
Since
2010, rising costs have placed a significant financial burden on community-based
organizations.
�
In the last fifteen
years, Hawaii's minimum wage almost doubled, and social worker salaries have increased
by forty-five per cent.
�
Premiums for state-required
liability insurance have more than doubled due to higher claim costs and legal
settlements.
�
Additionally, rising fuel
costs have increased transportation costs for workers or clients and the cost
of commercial office space has also continued to rise.

����
The
legislature further finds that some state contracts have been cut.
�
The office of youth services has had to cut
contracts with service providers by ten per cent, and has since only been able
to restore these contracts by five per cent.
�
Legislative budget cuts and non-recurring
appropriations have also left the office of youth services with contract
commitments exceeding their budget.
�
Service
providers have indicated they might be forced to end their contracts, which
would leave the State's youth without safe housing and emergency services.

����
A 2022
survey of nonprofits with government human service contracts found that ninety-one
per cent had contracts that did not cover the full operating costs required to
provide the contracted services, with seventy-nine per cent having to cut
administrative costs to maintain services.
�
These community-based organizations also
report trouble attracting and keeping experienced staff due to being unable to
offer competitive wages.
�
This situation
is unsustainable and threatens the stability of Hawaii's social services
infrastructure.

����
Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of human
services to issue supplemental contracts to community-based organizations to
address increases in costs related to labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and
gas.

����
SECTION
2.
�
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 2026-2027 for the department of
human services to issue supplemental contracts to community-based organizations
to address increases in costs related to labor, insurance, utilities, rent, and
gas; provided that the funds shall be equitably distributed and allocated as
follows:

����
(1)
�
$
for child protective services (HMS 301);

����
(2)
�
$
for adult protective and community care services (HMS 601);

����
(3)
�
$
for vocational rehabilitation (HMS 802);

����
(4)
�
$
for homeless services (HMS 224);

����
(5)
�
$
for general support for child care (HMS 302);

����
(6)
�
$
for general support for self-sufficiency services (HMS 903);

����
(7)
�
$
for general support for health care payments (HMS 902); and

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(8)
�
$
for in-community youth programs (HMS 501).

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

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SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Community-based
Organizations; Program Costs; Department of Human Services; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates
funds to the Department of Human Services to issue supplemental contracts to
community-based organizations to address increases in costs related to labor,
insurance, utilities, rent, and gas.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.