Hawai'i Democrats are backing off a plan to lower eligibility requirements for the food stamp program, which they hoped would get more federal government money at little cost to the state.

The idea was to draw millions of dollars in additional federal cash and help more Hawai'i residents to benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.

But the Senate Human Services Committee approved a heavily rewritten bill Thursday after legislators learned it would be difficult to adjust eligibility requirements without affecting other programs and spending scarce state money. The new bill has nothing to do with food stamps.

Instead, the Department of Human Services will work to expand enrollment in the program without passing a new law redefining who qualifies for the funding.

"At least it brought to people's attention that they may qualify for food stamps," said committee chairwoman Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, D-13th (Kalihi, Nu'uanu).

About 72 percent of Hawai'i households eligible for food stamps participate in the program. Senate Democrats, who had promoted the food stamp law in their majority package of bills, said increasing participation to 90 percent would bring in an estimated $45 million in new federal money each year.

"DHS will increase monthly benefits while expanding eligibility to the maximum extent allowed under federal regulations," said Department of Human Services Director Lillian Koller. "We urge all eligible residents to apply for this important benefit."

The legislation would have removed asset limits to qualify for food stamps and instead set the gross monthly income limit at 185 percent of the federal poverty level.

The problem was that those asset changes would have applied to other programs as well, driving up costs to the state, said Majority Leader Sen. Gary Hooser, D-7th (Kaua'i, Ni'ihau), who got the idea from the Kauai Food Bank.

"We talked to the Department (of Human Services), and they are going to be moving forward as aggressively as they can to expand the number of people who qualify so we can get these supplemental assistance nutrition cards to people who need them," Hooser said. "The spirit and intent of it is moving forward, but it's no longer necessary to have a bill."

Details of how the state will expand its food stamp program will be announced later, Koller said.

The rewritten bill is entirely different from the original food stamp proposal. The bill was amended so that people with temporary disabilities can get government aid through a state program that gives support to the blind and incapacitated.

"It's basically a procedural change that will have a little impact to help some people," said Joel Fischer, a professor at the University of Hawai'i School of Social Work who attended the hearing. "I'm very disappointed."

The measure advances to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.