STAND. COM. REP. NO. 493

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 1006
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Government
Operations and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1006
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENT REGULATION OF
     GROUP LIVING HOUSING FACILITIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the Department of
Health (DOH) to adopt rules for group living facilities.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this
measure from the DOH, Health Care for the Homeless Project,
residents of Niniko Place, and a private citizen.  Testimony in
opposition was received from the Church of the Crossroads.

     This measure is intended to cover shelters for domestic
abuse, alcohol abuse, halfway houses, and the like.  Your
Committees find that neighborhood acceptance of these facilities
is low because of the increased activity at these shelters, with
people coming and going all day.  The community is also concerned
about neighborhood safety and the potential for increased
substance abuse in the neighborhood.  Your Committees believe
that the State has a responsibility to adopt appropriate
administrative rules to govern the operation of group living
facilities in order to alleviate community concerns.

     Your Committees recognize that group living facilities may
provide services that may be within the respective jurisdictions

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 493
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of the Department of Health or the Department of Human Resources.
Therefore, your Committees have amended this measure by
authorizing both the Department of Health and the Department of
Human Services to adopt rules regulating group living facilities.
This measure further requires the directors of those departments
to meet and determine which type of group living facilities will
be regulated by the respective departments.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Health and Human Services and Government Operations
and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are
in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1006, as
amended herein, and recommends that it pass second reading in the
form attached hereto as S.B. 1006, S.d. 1, and be referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Health and Human
                                   Services and Government
                                   Operations and Housing,



____________________________       ______________________________
ROD TAM, Chair                     SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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