REPORT TITLE:
Home/Community Based Services


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds to eliminate the waitlist for home- and
community-based services waiver programs. (HB2159 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2159
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO INCREASE HOME- AND COMMUNITY-BASED
   CARE SERVICES.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the State's home- and
 
 2 community-based services waiver programs prevent or delay
 
 3 institutionalism of persons with disabilities.  The waiver
 
 4 programs have been especially helpful for families, the largest
 
 5 group of caregivers, who find difficulty in maintaining their
 
 6 supportive roles due to aging caretaking parents or the need for
 
 7 more than one family member to work.
 
 8      Although no cuts have been made to the waiver programs, no
 
 9 new moneys have been provided to help the four hundred thirty-two
 
10 people who continue to wait for medicaid waiver programs such as
 
11 nursing home without walls, residential alternatives community
 
12 care program, and program for all-inclusive care for the elderly,
 
13 or the approximately eight hundred individuals on the waitlist
 
14 for waiver services for individuals with mental retardation or
 
15 developmental disabilities.
 
16      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to eliminate
 
17 the waitlist for Hawaii's home- and community-based services
 
18 waiver programs.
 

 
Page 2                                                     2159
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 2 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $2,653,604 or so much
 
 3 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001 to expand
 
 4 the home- and community-based services waiver program to
 
 5 accommodate individuals waiting for these services.
 
 6      The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of
 
 7 human services for the purposes of this Act.
 
 8      SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 9 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $6,000,000 or so much
 
10 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001 to expand
 
11 the home- and community-based services waiver program for
 
12 individuals with mental retardation or developmental disabilities
 
13 waiting for these services.
 
14      The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of
 
15 health for the purposes of this Act.
 
16      SECTION 4.  There is appropriated $3,066,000 in
 
17 interdepartmental funds, or "U" funds, and $2,934,000 in other
 
18 federal funds, or "N" funds, or so much thereof as may be
 
19 necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001 to expand the home- and
 
20 community-based services waiver program for individuals with
 
21 mental retardation or developmental disabilities waiting for
 
22 these services.
 
23      The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of
 
24 human services for the purposes of this Act.
 
25      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.