STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2064

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2040
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was
referred S.B. No. 2040 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds, to be
matched by federal funds, to provide services to persons with
developmental disabilities.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services,
Disability and Communication Access Board, State Planning Council
on Developmental Disabilities, The ARC In Hawaii, Catholic
Charities, Easter Seals, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Special
Education Center of Hawaii, and six private individuals.
Informational testimony was submitted by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that individuals with developmental
disabilities require life long support and services.  The best
treatment for these individuals is to be independent, productive,
integrated, and included in the community.  Act 189, Session Laws
of Hawaii 1995, was intended to provide services in the community
for individuals who were residing at Waimano Training School and
Hospital by mandating that all programs and services for them be
provided for in the community.  Act 189 also required the
Department of Health to maximize state funds for community
services, using these funds as a match for title XIX federal

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2064
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programs, other governmental programs, and privately financed
programs.

     The medicaid waiver program under section 1915(c) of the
Social Security Act was designed to allow states to provide long-
term care, support, and services in the community by using at
least fifty percent of federal dollars for individuals who would
otherwise be institutionalized.  The medicaid and community-based
services waiver program provides an array of services such as
adult day health, personal assistance, environmental
accessibility adaptations, habilitation, supported employment,
respite care, skilled nursing, and specialized services designed
to support the individual's right to live in the community.

     Your Committee is concerned that recent statistics indicate
that Hawaii ranks 47th in its level of funding for community
services, and 50th in its total funding effort for mental
retardation and developmental disabilities services.
Furthermore, the home and community-based services waiver program
is underfunded, which causes the State to use state dollars
inefficiently and to miss the opportunity to maximize federal
dollars.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that
there are 800 individuals who may be eligible for the waiver
program, and deleting reference to application to the United
States Health Care Financing Administration.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of S.B. No. 2040, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2040,
S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health and Human
                                   Services,



                                   ______________________________
                                   SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

 
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