Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 103, H.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services to examine and report on the federally enacted Independence Plus Initiative to determine if individuals with disabilities living in Hawaii can benefit from this initiative by acquiring federal waivers for home and community based services.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, and the Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Your Committees find that this measure is designed to assist disabled individuals living in Hawaii by providing them with access to critical home and community based services. Your Committees find that having the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services determine Hawaii's eligibility for participating in this federal initiative will enhance the State's service delivery system for individuals with disabilities.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 103, H.D. 1, and recommend its adoption.