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Notice #: 05523825
Uncategorized

STATE OF HAWAII
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
BENEFIT, EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to Sections 91-3 and 92-41, Hawaii Revised Statutes, notice is hereby given that the Department of Human Services will hold a public hearing to consider the proposed amendments to existing rules of the Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division for the purpose of conforming to federal and state statutes. A brief description of the proposed changes is listed below:

CHAPTER 17-648, ELIGIBILITY REDETERMINATIONS

The name of the division has been amended to reflect the correct division name as Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division.

§17-648-2, Definitions. The definition of “adequate notice” is being deleted as the term is not used in this chapter. The definition of “allotment” is being amended to change the word coupon to benefit. A new definition for “change reporting” is being added to mean the reporting requirement for households who are not subject to simplified reporting, who must report a change in circumstance within ten days of the date that the change becomes known to the household. A new definition for “eligibility redetermination” or “redetermination” is being added to mean a redetermination of the household’s eligibility to continue to receive program benefits. A new definition for “simplified reporting” is added to mean the reporting requirement for certain households to report changes in the sixth month prior to the end of the certification period or eligibility review due date.

§17-648-3, General provisions for eligibility redeterminations. This section is being amended to replace all references to monthly reporting and to specify that eligibility redeterminations are required annually or semi-annually if the individual is receiving food stamps and has a six month certification period.

§17-648-4, Specific provisions for the aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) program. The title of this section has been amended to apply to all financial assistance households, not just AFDC. All references to income maintenance worker have been replaced with eligibility worker.

§17-648-5, Specific provisions for the general assistance (GA) program. This section is being repealed.

§17-648-6, Specific provisions for the state funded supplemental assistance programs for the aged, blind, and disabled (AABD). This section is being repealed.

§17-648-7, Termination of financial assistance. This section is being amended to delete all references to monthly reporting requirements.

§17-648-12, Eligibility redetermination. This section is being amended to delete all references to monthly reporting and to replace to the term “branch” with the “department”. Subsection (c) is also being amended to specify that if a household whose certification period has expired does not submit an application or eligibility redetermination form, the department is not required to take any further action. Subsection (d) is amended to specify that if a household submits an application for redetermination, but does not appear for a scheduled interview, the department shall send a notice of denial due to the missed interview.

CHAPTER 17-649, NOTICE OF ADVERSE ACTION

§17-649-2, Definitions. The definition of “notice of adverse action” means a written notice that is sent to a recipient to inform the recipient of action the department is planning to take to reduce or terminate benefits. The definition further specifies that a notice of adverse action shall always meet the definition of an adequate notice, and in certain situations must also meet the definition of a timely notice. New definitions are added for “change reporting”, “report month”, “simplified reporting”, six month report” and “timely notice”. “Change reporting” means the reporting requirement for households who are not subject to simplified reporting, who must report a change in circumstance within ten days of the date that the change becomes known to the household. “Report month” means any calendar month in which a change must be reported or in which a six month report or eligibility review form is due. “Simplified reporting” means the reporting requirement for certain households to report changes no later than six months prior to the end of the certification period or eligibility review due date. “Six month report” means the report form that simplified reporting households are required to complete no later than six months prior to the end of the certification period or eligibility review due date.

§17-649-3, Notice of adverse action. The title is amended to “Timely notice of adverse action”. Subsections (a), (b), (c), and (e) are deleted. A new subsection (a) provides the definition of a timely notice. A new subsection (b) specifies under what circumstances the department is not required to issue a timely notice. Subsection (d) is renumbered to (c).

§17-649-3.1, Exemption from timely notice. This is a new section being added which specifies when a timely notice is not required for the financial assistance and food stamp programs. The section further specifies that even though a timely notice is not required, the department must issue an adequate notice under these circumstances.

§17-649-4, Termination of benefits. Subsection (a) is being amended to specify the type of notice that must be issued by the department to certain households prior to the termination of benefits.

§17-649-5, Notice requirements for recipients subject to monthly eligibility reporting. This section is being amended to replace all references to monthly reporting with the new simplified reporting requirements.

§17-649-9, Exemptions from notice. This section is being repealed.

§17-649-10, Changes causing a decrease in allotment. This section is being repealed.

§17-649-11, Mass changes. Subsection (e) is being amended to specify that an adequate notice shall be used by the department to notify a household affected by a mass change.

§17-649-12, Adjustments to eligibility standards, allotments, and deductions. Subsection (a) is being amended to specify that a timely notice is not required where the department makes adjustments to the thrifty food plan, standard deduction, shelter deduction, dependent care deduction or the income eligibility standards.

§17-649-13, Mass changes in public assistance. Subsection (b) is amended to specify that a timely notice is not required when a household’s food stamp allotment is reduced or terminated as a result of a mass change in financial assistance grants, but the department shall issue an adequate notice.

§17-649-14, Mass changes in federal benefits. Subsection (b) is amended to change the term “not subject to monthly reporting” to change reporting. Subsection (c) is amended to replace monthly reporting requirements with the new simplified reporting requirements.

CHAPTER 17-650, REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

§17-650-1, Purpose. This section is repealed.

§17-650-2, Definitions. This section is repealed.

§17-650-3, Households subject to monthly eligibility reporting. This section is repealed.

§17-650-4, Monthly eligibility reporting requirements. This section is repealed.

§17-650-5, Verification of information reported monthly. This section is repealed.

§17-650-6, Processing of monthly eligibility report. This section is repealed.

§17-650-7, Notices. This section is repealed.

§17-650-8, Incomplete filing of monthly eligibility reports. This section is repealed.

§17-650-9, Households not subject to monthly eligibility reporting. This section is repealed.

A new Subchapter 3, Purpose and Definitions, is added.

§17-650-10, Purpose. This section establishes the reporting requirements for recipients of financial and food stamps assistance.

§17-650-ll, Definitions. “ABAWD” mean an able bodied adult without dependents. “Adequate notice” means a written notice that includes information about the action the department intends to take, the reason for the action, the departmental rule related to the action, the household’s right to request a hearing, the name of the person to contact for additional information, the availability of continued benefits, the household’s liability for any overpayments and the availability of free legal representation. This notice must be received prior to the department’s action, at the time reduced benefits are received or if benefits are terminated, at the time benefits would have been received. “Authorized representative” means a person designated to act on behalf of the household in applying for food stamp benefits. It also means a private nonprofit organization conducting a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment program or a group living arrangement which will act on behalf of residents of these centers in applying for food stamps. “Certification period” means a definite period of time established by the department during which household is eligible for food stamps. “Change reporting” means the reporting requirement for households who are not subject to the simplified reporting requirements. These households must report a change of circumstances within ten days of the date that the change becomes known to the household. “Earned income” means cash received or available to be received by the household which require some activity on the part of the household to produce. “Extended filing period” means the ten days that households are allowed to submit required information or missing verification. “Federal poverty limit” means the poverty guidelines that are updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. “Homeless individual” means a person who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence or an individual whose primary nighttime residence is a supervised shelter, a halfway house or similar institution designed to provide temporary accommodations for not more than 90 days. It also refers to individuals whose primary nighttime address is a temporary accommodation in the residence of another individual for not more than 90 days or a place not designed for regular sleeping accommodation such as a hallway or bus station. “Notice of adverse action” means a written notice to notify the recipient of action to reduce or terminate benefits. “Payment month” means the calendar month for which the department shall issue benefits. “Report month” means any calendar month in which a change must be reported. “Seasonal farm- worker” means a farm laborer who moves from place to place to harvest seasonal crops. “Simplified reporting” means a reporting requirement in which households must report changes six months prior to the end of the certification or eligibility period and certain other changes within ten days of the date the change becomes known to the household. “Six month report” means the report form that simplified reporting households are required to complete not later than six months prior to the end of the certification or eligibility period. “Timely notice” means an adequate notice that is mailed to the recipient at least ten days prior to the effective date of action. “Unearned income” means any cash received or available to be received which is not classified as earned income. “Verified upon receipt” means information that is complete and accurate and does not require any further verification. This includes payment information provided by the income source such as, but not limited to, the Social Security Administration regarding social security and SSI benefits, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) regarding unemployment insurance benefits (UIB), and the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) regarding child support income or payments. Verified upon receipt also includes information provided by an originating source such as, but not limited to, the household reporting a member has left the household or one of the department’s work programs recommending sanction of a household member.

A new Subchapter 4, Simplified Reporting, is added to the chapter. Simplified Reporting is a reporting requirement for certain households to report changes no later than six months prior to the end of the certification period or eligibility review due date and to report certain other changes within ten days of the date the change becomes known to the household.

§17-650-12, Households subject to simplified reporting. All households shall be subject to simplified reporting except households in which all adult members are elderly or disabled, have no earned income and receive food stamps.

§17-650-13, Households subject to special simplified reporting requirements. Homeless and seasonal farmworker households are required to report changes when they are recertified every six months and certain other changes during the certification period.

§17-650-14, Six month reporting requirements. Households subject to the simplified reporting requirements must report the following information on the six month report no later than six months from the end of the household’s certification or eligibility period: income, changes in household composition, changes in residence and assets that exceed the program’s asset limit. Clients receiving food stamps must also report shelter costs when there has been a change in residence and changes in the legal obligation to pay child support.

§17-650-15, Verification of information reported. The household must verify all information on the six month report.

§17-650-16, Processing the six month report. The department shall review the report for accuracy and completeness. If the household fails to file a report or files an incomplete report, the household shall be given 10 days to file a complete report. If a food stamp household fails to provide sufficient information regarding a deductible expense, the department shall not act on a new or increased expense and shall use the last verified deduction, provided residence or other circumstances related to the deduction has not changed.

§17-650-17, Notices. All notices affecting a household’s benefits based on changes reported on the six month report, shall meet the definition of adequate notice. Notices affecting a household’s benefits based on information reported outside of the six month report shall meet the definition of a timely and adequate notice. Changes which increase benefits and changes which do not affect a household’s benefits shall meet the definition of adequate notice.

§17-650-18, Other reporting requirements. In addition to the six month report, all households subject to simplified reporting must report certain other changes. Food stamp households must report any change of monthly gross income in excess of 130% of the federal poverty limit (FPL). Food stamp households which include able bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) must also report when work or training hours decrease below 20 hours or when employment terminates. Financial assistance households must report any change in monthly gross income in excess of 100% of FPL and any change in household composition.

A new Subchapter 5, Change Reporting, is added.

§17-650-24, Purpose. This section establishes the change reporting requirements for recipients of financial and food stamps assistance that are not subject to the simplified reporting requirements.

§17-650-25, Households subject to the change reporting requirements. This is a new section that specifies which households are exempt from simplified reporting requirements and must change report.

§17-650-26, Reporting requirements for change reporting households. Households not subject to the simplified reporting requirements shall be required to report the following changes within 10 days of the date the change becomes known to the household, change in a source of unearned income, change of more than $50 in the amount of unearned income, except changes related to the financial assistance grant, changes in earned income, changes in household composition, when total assets exceed the program’s asset limit and changes in residence. For the food stamp program only, the resulting change in shelter costs when a household changes residence and changes in the legal obligation to pay child support must also be reported.

CHAPTER 17-676, INCOME

§17-676-1, Purpose. This section is amended to delete reference to medical coverage.

§17-676-2, Definitions. This section is amended by amending the definition of “lump sum income” to remove educational loans, grants and scholarships as income not considered lump sum income. This exclusion is specified in Section 17-676-80.

§17-676-7, Job training partnership act (JTPA). This section is amended to change job training partnership act to Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

§17-676-10, Earned income from self-employment. This section is amended by amending subsection (c) and deleting subsection (d) to make the self-employment requirements the same for the financial assistance and food stamp programs. The financial assistance program will now follow the food stamp program and not require a self-employed person to be licensed by the state or pay social security taxes to have business expenses deducted from monthly gross self-employment income.

§17-676-13, Entitlements to military personnel. This section is amended to reflect the correct terminlogy when referring to military income and deductions. Payroll stub is changed to leave and earnings statement. Basic allowance for quarters (BAQ) is changed to basic allowance for housing (BAH). Other nonsubstantitive changes were made to improve clarity.

§17-676-21, Social security benefits. This section is amended by correcting a formatting error in subsection (a). Subsection (c) is also amended to specify that for the food stamp program, deductions for recoupments are deducted in determining the net countable income, but deductions for garnishments or voluntary withholdings are not deducted in determining the net countable income.

§17-676-22, Veteran\u2019s benefits. Subsection (a) is amended to specify that veteran’s benefits, prior to any deductions, shall be counted as unearned income. Subsection (b) is amended to specify that veteran’s educational benefits are exempt income for the financial assistance and food stamp programs.

§17-676-25, Supplemental security income benefits. Subsections (a) and (b) are amended to specify that for both the state and federally funded AFDC programs, SSI benefits shall not be counted as income in determining eligibility or the amount of assistance.

§17-676-37, Income of sponsor of an alien. This section is amended to specify that subsection (a) only applies to the financial assistance program.

The title to Subchapter 5 is amended to include the Food Stamp Program in the provisions of this subchapter.

§17-676-51, Determining income prospectively for all applicants and recipients . Subsection (a) is amended to specify how to determine monthly earned income in a past or current month and how to determine monthly earned income which is anticipated in a future month. Subsection (b) is amended to specify how to determine monthly unearned income in a past or current month and how to determine future monthly unearned income.

§17-676-53, Determining monthly net income for refugees. This section is repealed.

§17-676-55, Earned income disregard reimbursement to reward work. The title of this section is amended to specify that it only applies to the AFDC program.

§17-676-56, Determining net monthly income in the food stamp program. Although this is a new section it is based substantially upon section 17-676-68, which is being repealed. This new section specifies how to calculate net monthly income for the food stamp program, including income to be considered and allowable deductions and expenses.

Subchapter 7 has been renamed Food Stamp Program Deductions and Expenses.

§17-676-67, Rounding technique in calculating net monthly income. This section is repealed.

§17-676-68, Determining net monthly income. This section is repealed.

§17-676-69, Determining income for prospectively and retrospectively budgeted households. This section is repealed.

§17-676-70, Anticipated income for month received. This section is repealed.

§17-676-71, Averaging income and expenses. This section is amended by amending subsection (a) to replace the term “destitute household” with “seasonal farmworker” and the word “branch” with “department”. A reference to monthly reporting requirements is also deleted. Subsection (c) is being deleted as educational income is now exempt income and is not averaged. Subsection (d) is renumbered to (c).

§17-676-72, Income deductions. This section is amended to replace all references to the word “branch” with “department”.

§17-676-73, Standard utility allowance. This section is amended by amending subsections (d) and (f) to replace the word “branch” with “department”.

§17-676-74, Determining deductions. This section is amended by amending subsection (d) to delete reference to the child support deduction, which is covered in section 17-676-72. This subsection is also amended to delete reference to retrospective budgeting. Subsection (f) is amended to replace the word “branch” with “department” and to remove reference to prospective and retrospective budgeting under the monthly reporting system, which is being replaced by simplified reporting and prospective budgeting.

§17-676-75, Availability and verification of income in the financial assistance programs. This section is being amended to remove references to the medical assistance only program, which is under the Med-QUEST Division.

§17-676-76, Availability and verification of income in the food stamp program. This section is amended to replace all references to the word “branch” with “department”.

§17-676-80, Income exemptions in the financial assistance programs. This section is amended to correct the federal law citations in paragraphs (8), (12), and (16).

§17-676-90, Other types of excluded income. This section is amended to remove the exception as excluded income for educational loans on which repayment is deferred. All educational income is excluded income as now specified in section 17-676-91.

§17-676-91, Income excluded by law. This section is amended by deleting unnecessary specification in paragraph (1) of payment types for income that is excluded. Paragraphs (12) and (14) are also amended to correct the federal law citation. Paragraph (21) is amended to specify that all educational income shall be considered excluded income in the food stamp program.

§17-676-94, Tuition and mandatory fees paid from educational loans, grants, benefits, scholarships. This section is being repealed.

§17-676-96, Earnings of minors. This section is being amended to clarify the exclusion of earned income of minors who must be attending an elementary or secondary school and living with a parent or an adult who is exercising parental control.

CHAPTER 17-680, ELIGIBILITY AND BENEFIT DETERMINATION

§17-680-2, Definitions. This section is amended by deleting the definitions of “budget month” and “retrospective budgeting”. This section is also amended by amending the definition of “prospective budgeting” to clarify that the best estimate of income and circumstances is based on what will exist in a current or future month. The definition of “report month” is amended to specify that it is any calendar month in which a change must be reported or in which a six month report is due. The definition “verified upon receipt” has been added and means any information that is complete and accurate and does not require any further verification. Examples of sources of information that meet this criterion are listed.

§17-680-6, Definitions. This section is amended by deleting the definition “initial two months”. The definition of “lump sum income” has been amended by deleting educational loans, grants and scholarships from the definition.

§17-680-7, General Requirements. Subsection (a) is amended to specify that “prospective eligibility” instead of “prospective budgeting method” shall be used to determine eligibility for financial assistance. Subsection (f) is amended to state that recipients shall report all changes as specified in chapter 17-650.

§17-680-8, Gross income limit. Paragraph (2) has been amended to delete reference to suspension when a recipient’s gross income is expected to or exceeds the one hundred eighty-five per cent limit. Eligibility is determined prospectively and, therefore, benefits shall be terminated and not suspended.

§17-680-9, Net income limit. This section has been amended to delete all references to “standard of need” as this income test is no longer applicable.

§17-680-10, Prospective budgeting for the initial two months. This section is repealed.

§17-680-10.1, Prospective eligibility for all financial assistance households. This new section has been added to explain how prospective eligibility is determined for financial assistance households and when the action is taken for simplified reporting households and change reporting households.

§17-680-11, Retrospective budgeting after the initial two months. This section is repealed.

§17-680-11.1, Prospective budgeting for all financial assistance households. This new section has been added to explain that financial assistance benefits shall be determined by using the household composition and best estimate of the household’s countable income that will exist in the payment month.

§17-680-11.2, Financial assistance household subject to simplified reporting. This new section has been added to explain that when changes are reported on the six month report regarding a change of monthly gross income in excess of one hundred per cent of the Federal poverty limit or a change in household composition, which may result in an increase or decrease of benefits, shall take effect the month following the month the change is verified. All information shall be verified and action shall not be taken on changes that will not continue in future months. For changes not required to be reported but that become known to the department outside of the six month report, this new section explains what action shall be taken if the information is verified, when verification shall be requested and when verification shall not be requested. This section also explains that an overpayment shall occur in the month the action should have been taken when a change that is required to be reported is not reported and that change results in ineligibility or a decrease in benefits.

§17-680-11.3, Financial assistance households subject to change reporting. This new section has been added to explain what action must be taken when changes are reported by change reporting households and when other changes become known to the department. Changes which result in an increase or a decrease shall take effect the month following the month the change is verified. An overpayment shall occur in the month the action should have been taken when a change that is required to be reported is not reported and that change results in ineligibility or a decrease in benefits.

§17-680-13, Processing changes in family size. Subsection (a)(2) has been amended by replacing the prospective and retrospective budgeting process of determining the income of an individual who is being added to the household with the prospective budgeting process as specified in section 17-676-51. Also, the language and example in subsection 17-680-13 (a)(5) on how to calculate the corrective payment or overpayment have been revised for clarity.

§17-680-14, Budgeting of lump sum income. This section has been amended to state that the period of ineligibility shall be the month the lump sum income is received when the individual who received the lump sum income is an applicant and, the month following the month the lump sum income is received when the individual who received the lump sum income is a recipient. This is a change from the current method where the period of ineligibility is based on whether the income was budgeted prospectively or retrospectively.

§17-680-16, Changes in reporting requirements. This new section has been added to determine what steps must be taken when the household reports a change or the department becomes aware of a change that results in a change in the household’s reporting requirements. The household must be informed of their new reporting requirements and the consequences of failing to comply with the new requirements and when the new reporting requirement will take effect. The simplified reporting household must be mailed a six month report if the system generated report cannot be issued and a change report form must be mailed to the change reporting households.

§17-680-21, Definitions. This section is amended to delete the definition “beginning months”.

§17-680-23, Households subject to prospective budgeting. This section is amended to specify that eligibility and benefits shall be determined prospectively for all food stamp households. This section is also amended to delete reference to monthly reporting provisions.

§17-680-24, Households subject to retrospective budgeting. This section is repealed.

§17-680-27, Month of application. This section is amended by amending subsection (b) to correct a section citation and to specify that residents of public institutions that apply for food stamp benefits prior to their date of release shall be eligible for benefits from the date of release from the institution, not from the date of application. Subsection (d) is being deleted and all subsequent subsections are renumbered. Subsection (e) is renumbered and amended to clarify the calculation used to prorate benefits from the date of application. Subsection (f) is renumbered and amended to specify that a household who applies after the fifteenth of the month and is eligible for expedited service, shall receive a prorated allotment for the initial month and the allotment for the next month at the same time. Subsection (g) is amended to correct a section citation. Subsection (h) is being deleted. Subsections (i) and (j) are renumbered and (j) is amended to remove reference to the budgeting process under monthly reporting.

§17-680-28, Eligibility and benefit determination. This section is amended by amending subsection (g) to change the word “branch” to “department” and to remove a reference to retrospective budgeting.

§17-680-29, Determining the household\u2019s level of benefits retrospectively after the beginning months. This section is repealed.

§17-680-30, Household responsibility to report changes. This section is being amended to delete reference to monthly reporting requirements and replaces with simplified reporting or change reporting requirements. This section is also amended to replace the word “branch” with “department”.

§17-680-31, Branch action on changes. This section is amended to replace the word “branch” in the title and other subsections with the word “department”. Subsection (e) is also amended to correct a section citation.

§17-680-32, Changes causing an increase in allotment. This section is repealed.

§17-680-32.1, Processing changes reported by simplified reporting households. This is a new section that explains how the department will process changes reported by simplified reporting households. All information that is required to be reported on the six month report shall be verified and action will be taken by the department to increase, decrease or terminate benefits as appropriate. Reported changes or changes that become known to the department outside of the six month report shall be acted upon if verified. If the change is not verified, but would result in an increase in benefits, the department shall notify the household to submit verification within ten days. If the change would result in a decrease in benefits, but the household has not provided verification, the department shall not ask for additional verification and shall not act on the reported change.

§17-680-33, Changes causing a decrease in allotment. This section is repealed.

§17-680-33.1, Processing changes reported by change reporting households. This is a new section that explains how the department will process changes reported by change reporting households. All information that is required to be reported shall be reported and verified and action will be taken by the department to increase, decrease or terminate benefits as appropriate.

§17-680-34, Changes in household composition for prospectively and retrospectively budgeted households. This section is amended by changing the title to “Changes in household composition”. All references to retrospective budgeting have been deleted. All references to the word “branch” have been changed to “department”.

§17-680-35, Changes in income and resources for retrospectively budgeted households. This section is amended by amending the title to “Changes in resources”. All references to retrospective budgeting have been deleted. When a household reports an increase in its assets which results in it exceeding the retention limit, the department shall evaluate whether the household’s assets will continue to exceed the retention limit in the payment month following the month the change in resource was reported. If the assets are projected to exceed the retention limit in the payment month following the month of report, the household shall be ineligible. If the household is expected to dispose of the excess assets and not exceed the retention limit in the payment month following the month of report, the household shall maintain eligibility.

§17-680-36, Households that change their reporting and budgeting status. This section has been amended to remove “budgeting” in the title. Subsection (a) has been amended to explain the steps that must be taken when a change reporting household loses its exemption from simplified reporting. Subsection (b) and (c) have been deleted and subsection (d) renumbered and amended to explain the steps that must be taken when a simplified reporting household becomes exempt from simplified reporting and must start change reporting.

§17-680-37, Households with a decrease in income due to failure to comply. This section is amended by replacing all references to the word “branch” to “department”.

§17-680-38, Suspending monthly eligibility reporting households. This section is repealed.

A public hearing will be held at the following date, time and place:

PUBLIC HEARING August 31, 2006, 1:30 p.m.; Haseko Center, Suite 606, Conference Room 2, 820 Mililani Street, Honolulu, Hawaii.

All interested persons are invited to attend the hearing to state their views relative to the proposed rules either orally or in writing. Should written testimony be presented, five (5) copies shall be made available to the presiding officer at the public hearing or within seven (7) days before the hearing to:

Department of Human Services
Benefit, Employment & Support Services Division
820 Mililani Street, Suite 606
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Residents of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, and Molokai wishing to present oral testimonies may also contact the Benefit, Employment and Support Services Section Administration office on the respective islands within seven (7) days before the Honolulu hearing date to have their testimony recorded:

East Hawaii Section Administrator
Prince Kuhio Plaza
111 East Puainako Street, A-105
Hilo, HI (981-7288);

West Hawaii Section Administrator
Lanihau Professional Center
75-5591 Palani Road, Room 2004
Kailua-Kona, HI (327-4765);

Kauai Section Administrator
Dynasty Court
4473 Pahee Street, Suite G
Lihue, HI (241-3663);

Maui Section Administrator
1955 Main Street, Suite #325
Wailuku, HI (243-5875);

Molokai Income Maintenance Unit
Kaunakakai Civic Center, Phase 2
55 Makaena Place, Room 1
Kaunakakai, HI (553-1715)

A copy of the proposed rules will be mailed at NO COST to any interested person requesting a copy by writing to:

Department of Human Services
Benefit, Employment & Support Services Division
820 Mililani Street, Suite 606
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

or by calling 586-5230. Neighbor island residents may request a copy of the proposed rules at NO COST by contacting the Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division office during regular business days and hours.

Proposed rules are available on the internet at http://swat.state.hi.us/vrc.htm

Special accommodations (i.e., Sign language interpreter, large print, taped materials, or accessible parking) can be made, if requested at least five (5) working days before the scheduled public hearing on Oahu by calling 586-5230. Neighbor island residents needing special accommodations should contact the Benefit, Employment and Support Services Section Administration office on the respective islands with their requests.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
(SB05523825 7/30/06) LILLIAN B. KOLLER, DIRECTOR