STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1497

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.C.R. No. 79

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 79, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO IDENTIFY ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS REGARDING INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR CHOICE OF RESIDENTIAL SETTING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request that the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities (HSCDD) convene a task force to identify issues and solutions regarding individuals with developmental disabilities and their choice of residential setting.

The Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Arc of Kauai, and Arc of Hawaii supported this measure. HSCDD supported this measure and provided comments.

Your Committees find that individuals with developmental disabilities desire to have greater self-determination and selection in choosing their place of residence. Your Committees also recognize that there are not enough homes available, and that the lack of residences is in part due to rules and regulations that do not always consider other factors such as quality of life and overall well being.

Upon further consideration, your Committees have amended this concurrent resolution by:

(1) Requesting that the task force identify statutes, administrative rules, policies, and directives that need to be revised to reflect individual choice and assure civil rights, health, and safety; and

(2) Requesting that the Department of Health take no further action to remove individuals from unlicensed homes, until the issue of care in these settings is resolved.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 79, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 79, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services and Housing,

____________________________ MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair		____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair