STAND. COM. REP. 204
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2003
RE: H.B. No. 1272
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2003
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1272 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADVOCACY FOR HUMAN SERVICES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to enhance legal services and provide funding for certain special needs children, disabled children, and the elderly, by:
(1) Requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS) to contract for legal assistance to adoptive families that will assist at least 130 families in adopting special needs children and appropriating funds for this contract;
(2) Appropriating funds to match federal funds available for non-recurring adoption expenses;
(3) Requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to contract with and provide a nonprofit legal services provider (NLSP) access to files of children who participate in the individualized educational program in the County of Hawaii;
(4) Requiring the DOE to inform the NLSP described in paragraph (3) of all individualized educational program hearings;
(5) Appropriating funds for a grant-in-aid to the NLSP described in paragraph (3);
(6) Requiring DHS to make available to a NLSP all information required to adequately identify claims for dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid recipients; and
(7) Appropriating funds for a grant-in-aid to a NLSP to maximize federal benefits available to Hawaii residents dually eligible for benefits under Medicare and Medicaid.
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii supported this measure. DHS offered comments.
Your Committee finds that this measure provides comprehensive legal support for some of the neediest members of our society.
Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style and clarity.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1272, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1272,
H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Housing,
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____________________________ MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair |