HB244 • 2026

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.

Budget

Active

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

Sponsor: MARTEN, CHUN, GRANDINETTI, IWAMOTO, KILA, KITAGAWA, LA CHICA, MATAYOSHI, MORIKAWA, OLDS, PERRUSO, POEPOE, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TAKENOUCHI, TAM
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on the amount of funds appropriated or how these funds will be used to improve access to essential services.

Funding for Social Services Collaboration

This bill provides funding to help the Department of Human Services work with community-based organizations to provide social services in Hawaii.

What This Bill Does

Appropriates funds from the state's general budget for the Department of Human Services to collaborate with contracted community-based organizations to address the need for social services.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Human Services
Community-based organizations that provide social services under contract with the Department of Human Services

Terms To Know

community-based organizations: Local groups that offer support and services to people within their communities.
appropriations: Money set aside by the government for specific purposes, like funding social services.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify exact amounts of money that will be provided.
It is unclear how much additional funding community-based organizations need to cover their costs and continue providing services.
The effectiveness of the collaboration between the Department of Human Services and community-based organizations in addressing social service needs remains to be seen.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment provides funding to the Department of Human Services to collaborate with community-based organizations to address social service needs in Hawaii.

Appropriates funds from general state revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to support various social services provided by contracted community-based organizations.

The exact dollar amounts for each service category are not specified in the amendment text.
The effective date of July 1, 3000 is likely a placeholder and needs correction.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: Hawaii published version SD1 3

This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
The official amendment text was available, but an easy plain-English summary could not be produced automatically during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-02 S
Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
2026-04-01 H
House Conferee(s) discharged.
2026-03-20 H
Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 409).
2026-03-20 S
Senate Conferee(s) discharged.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-04-25 H
Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 04-25-25 5:00PM in conference room 329.
2025-04-24 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 875).
2025-04-24 H
Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Friday, 04-25-25 1:51PM in conference room 329.
2025-04-24 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: Aquino Chair; Kanuha Co-Chair; Fevella.
2025-04-15 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 732).
2025-04-14 H
House Conferees Appointed: Marten, Morikawa Co-Chairs; Olds, Templo, Alcos.
2025-04-11 S
Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 704).
2025-04-10 H
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
2025-04-08 H
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 608) in amended form (SD 1).
2025-04-08 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2025-04-04 S
One Day Notice 04-08-25.
2025-04-04 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1780) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading.
2025-04-03 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 13 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, DeCoite, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-04-01 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-03-25 10:01AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2025-03-20 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2025-03-20 S
Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1191) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2025-03-12 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Hashimoto, Keohokalole.
2025-03-07 S
The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-12-25 1:10PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2025-03-04 S
Referred to HHS, WAM.
2025-03-04 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-04 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 93).
2025-02-28 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 961), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-24 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 15 Ayes: Representative(s) Yamashita, Takenouchi, Grandinetti, Holt, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lamosao, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Templo, Alcos, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.
2025-02-21 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Monday, 02-24-25 12:00PM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-12 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 Representative(s) Cochran, Sayama, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-12 H
Reported from HSH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 523) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-02-06 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, Chun, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Takayama, Takenouchi, Alcos; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Garcia; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HSH on Thursday, 02-06-25 10:00AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to HSH, FIN, referral sheet 1
2025-01-17 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-16 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.
DHS; Community-based Organizations; Social Services; Appropriations ($)
Appropriates funds for the Department of Human Services to collaborate with contracted community-based organizations to address the need for social services in the State. Effective 12/31/2050. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB244

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

244

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to the department of human services
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds that vulnerable
populations in Hawaii, including individuals experiencing homelessness,
children, and those in need of mental health or social services, face
significant challenges that hinder their well-being and stability.
�
These issues have become exacerbated by a
rising demand for services, stagnant government contract funding, and
increasing operational costs, including significant insurance hikes following
the 2023 Maui wildfires.

����
The
legislature further finds that community-based organizations are vital partners
in delivering critical services on behalf of the department of human services
and that, by strengthening collaborations with service providers, the
department can enhance program delivery and improve access to essential services
such as administering benefits, providing work-training and employment support,
strengthening child care programs, addressing homelessness, and reducing the
harmful effects of a punitive incarceration system, among other services.
�
Additionally, families in Hawaii depend on
this network of community-based organizations as a human services safety net.

����
The legislature
also finds that the department of human services contracts with community-based
organizations to provide critical services, but contract rates have not
increased in many years and fail to cover full program costs.
�
Community-based organizations have attempted
to fill the gap between funding levels and demand for services through their
own fundraising efforts but are finding the growing gap insurmountable.
�
If the gap between funding levels and demand
for services is not mitigated by increased state funding, community-based organizations
will have to decline contracts or reduce the amount of services provided,
despite the community need; some will be unable to sustain operations.
�
According to a 2022 survey of Hawaii
community-based nonprofit organizations, ninety-one per cent had government
contract budgets that fell below the full operating costs required to provide
the contracted services.
�
Of those,
seventy-nine per cent always or often had to cut administrative costs.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to provide increased funding for the department of human
services to collaborate with community-based organizations to address the need
for social services in Hawaii.

����
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 2025-2026 and the same sum or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the department
of human services to collaborate with community-based organizations to address
the need for social services in the State.

����
The sums

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

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Human Services; Community-based Organizations; Social Services;
Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates
funds for
the department of human services to collaborate with community-based
organizations to address the need for social services in the State.

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