RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF WELLNESS AND RESILIENCE.
Summary
SB2861 requires the Office of Wellness and Resilience, working with the Department of Human Services, to develop a comprehensive plan for a new “Kakou Pilot Program” aimed at supporting families and children in need. The bill identifies a range of possible services the pilot could include, such as child wellness visits, food boxes, counseling, trauma-informed care, and other related supports, with particular attention to families exiting foster care and children at risk of neglect.
Rather than immediately creating the program, the measure establishes a planning process. The office must submit a preliminary report to the Legislature before the 2027 regular session and a final report by June 30, 2027, including proposed legislation, recommended implementation structure, and a recommendation on whether the pilot should be established. The bill also defines eligible families broadly, subject to TANF eligibility rules and federal requirements, and authorizes DHS to begin spending TANF funds for the pilot beginning July 1, 2028, including up to $130,000 annually for an external evaluator.
Impact
The bill affects the administration and future use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds in Hawaii by directing planning for a new family-support pilot and authorizing later TANF expenditures for that purpose. It does not itself launch the pilot immediately, but it creates a statutory framework for the Office of Wellness and Resilience and DHS to design the program, identify an administering agency, and determine how federal block grant funds could be used consistent with federal rules. It also includes a severability-style safeguard so any conflicting provision becomes inoperative only to the extent required by federal funding conditions.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad support and moved through the process without recorded opposition in the available votes. It passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Senate Ways and Means, and both conference votes unanimously, and it was enrolled to the Governor. The lack of dissent suggests the measure was generally viewed favorably as a planning and oversight step for using existing TANF resources to support vulnerable families.
Contention
The main policy issue is not whether to support families, but how to structure and fund the pilot within federal TANF constraints. Potential points of concern include whether the Office of Wellness and Resilience or DHS should administer the program, how broadly “eligible families” may be defined, and whether the proposed services fit TANF’s allowable purposes. The bill’s explicit reference to federal compliance and its fallback language indicate awareness of possible legal or administrative tension over using TANF funds for services such as counseling, food assistance, and trauma-informed care.
Requesting The Office Of Wellness And Resilience To Develop A Report To Address The Developmental Needs Of Children Born During The Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.
Requesting The Office Of Wellness And Resilience To Develop A Report To Address The Developmental Needs Of Children Born During The Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.
Requesting The Office Of Wellness And Resilience To Develop A Report To Address The Developmental Needs Of Children Born During The Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.
Requesting The Office Of Wellness And Resilience To Develop A Report To Address The Developmental Needs Of Children Born During The Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.