Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3037 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a dedicated source of funding to provide grants to caregivers for respite services.

Testimony in favor of this measure was submitted by the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and various private citizens. The Department of Health submitted testimony in opposition to this measure and the Disability and Communication Access Board submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that respite services are the most requested services by families of those with developmental disabilities. Although funding levels have remained the same, it is also insufficient to meet the increase in demands for caregivers. Costs for respite services are approximately 65-70 percent less than the costs of maintaining people in institutions.

Therefore, your Committee has amended the measure by replacing it with language from SB939, including the new language that:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3037, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3037, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.