Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2573, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide a $500 caregiver tax credit for persons who care for an "eligible care recipient" in the caregiver's home.

An "eligible care recipient" is defined generally, as a person who is:

(1) At least sixty years of age;

Your Committee finds that, with Hawaii's growing elderly population, the care of our seniors has become a serious problem. Unless families can afford expensive private care services for their elderly relatives, they are forced to care for them in their own homes. The burden on caregivers can be overwhelming at times and the resulting toll on families may cause financial and emotional harm.

This bill provides a modicum of financial relief to care-giving families to ease their financial burden and also provides a modest incentive for families to care for family members in their homes.

Your Committee has amended the bill by changing the effective date to February 31, 2020, for purposes of promoting continuing discussion and by making technical changes that have no substantive effect.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2573, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2573, S.D. 2.