Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Health to license residential settings for individuals with developmental disabilities or mental retardation.

The measure also establishes a fee schedule for reimbursements for residential services provided to these individuals.

Residential service providers afford important residential care services to individuals with developmental disabilities or mental retardation. The provision of these services is particularly important in light of the closure in June 1999 of the Waimano Training School and Hospital, the facility that would have cared for a majority of these individuals. Adequate reimbursement to residential service providers will help to ensure the continued provision of these important services.

Your Committee recognized the need for clarification of the measure to ensure that it does not have the unintended effect of precluding the Department of Human Services from continuing to certify community care foster family homes, some of which have, as clients in the homes, individuals with developmental disabilities or mental retardation.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended the bill by:

Your Committee notes that the bill may require further clarification regarding whether and when the term, "domiciliary homes," should continue to be used. Your Committee hopes that further discussion in this regard will continue during this legislative session.

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. 3, S.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.