HB 2498 Summary

• Establishes a new homeless care residence program under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 346 requiring registration and certification of private residences providing temporary care to homeless family or household members.

• Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules by January 1, 2017, establishing minimum health and safety requirements for homeless care residences, including standards for occupancy, health, fire safety, sanitation, and abuse prevention.

• Limits homeless family members to a maximum of twelve consecutive or nonconsecutive months of participation in the program, regardless of the number of different providers.

• Caps the total number of actively participating homeless care residences receiving program funds at one hundred residences per month, determined on the first day of each month.

• Excludes money paid by the State to providers of homeless care residences from gross income taxation and requires criminal history record checks for providers.