STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1494

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 3

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 3, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that developmental disabilities residential service providers are adequately reimbursed for services by:

(1) Expanding the scope of residential services available to individuals with developmental disabilities or mental retardation;

(2) Establishing new categories of residences for individuals with developmental disabilities or mental retardation;

(3) Allowing the Department of Health (DOH) to provide level of care and other additional payments to certain residential service providers; and

(4) Appropriating $1,500,000 for payment of residential services provided by developmental disabilities domiciliary homes and developmental disabilities apartment complexes.

The Judiciary, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, The Arc in Hawaii, The Arc of Kauai, Arc of Kona, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Opportunities for the Retarded, Inc., and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Department of Human Services and DOH supported the intent of this bill.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Leaving the appropriation amount blank to encourage further discussion;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2010; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

		____________________________ DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair