Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 953 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate money to the Office of the Auditor to conduct a study on financing long-term care, including contractual services for the study.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Executive Office of Aging, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, ILWU Local 142, Coalition for Affordable Long Term Care, Kokua Council, and two private citizens.

Your Committees find that Hawaii will have a 72 per cent increase in the number of people over 60 years of age from 173,733 in 1990 to 299,500 by the year 2010. Your Committees further find that in view of the current and growing future need for long-term care, the State has an interest in obtaining information determining the cost of establishing a state-sponsored program for long-term care. Therefore, your Committees intend to further explore the options available to the State to develop a state-sponsored program for long-term care.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 953 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.