Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 23 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge all state and private entities providing long term care to form a working group for the development of a statewide certification program for long term care providers.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

Your Committee would like to encourage all state and private entities to work together to develop a statewide certification program for long term care providers and caregivers. Your Committee further finds that this program is needed to establish appropriate standards and safeguards to ensure the quality of care for the elderly and the disabled in our community. With a shortage of long term care services, and the State looking for ways to compensate, your Committee hopes that this measure will assist in providing a standard of care for those servicing Hawaii's long term care community.

Your Committee has amended this measure by including the Community Colleges within the University of Hawaii in the training aspect of this program.

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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 23, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 23, S.D. 1.