HI HR148

Directs the Department of Human Services to stop implementing its proposed reorganization of the Benefits, Employment Support Services Division (BESSD), Med Quest Division, and related divisions until a Legislative Task Force evaluates the proposal.

Establishes a task force comprising DHS leadership, eligibility workers from each island, fraud investigation representatives, HGEA representative, legislative chairs, USDA representative, and community advocates to conduct a thorough evaluation.

Task force must evaluate the proposal's effects on clients considering Hawaii's geography and multicultural society, risk of wrongly denied or delayed benefits, information technology requirements and costs, staff training timelines, and compliance with USDA regulations.

Prohibits any expenditure towards reorganization until the Task Force submits findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the 2011 Regular Session.

Addresses concerns that the proposed reorganization would close 31 eligibility offices statewide, eliminate direct client contact, result in 232 employee layoffs, increase welfare fraud risk, and ignore failures of similar call center models in Florida, Oregon, Indiana, and Texas.