STAND. COM. REP. NO. 352-06
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2006
RE: H.B. No. 1821
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2006
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1821 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CARE HOMES,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to more adequately compensate care home operators by:
(1) Clarifying that domiciliary care includes care provided in developmental disabilities domiciliary homes, developmental disabilities adult foster homes, and developmental disabilities apartment complexes; and
(2) Increasing the level of care payment for type I adult residential care homes, licensed developmental disabilities domiciliary homes, and licensed developmental disabilities apartment complexes from $521.90 to $621.90 per month.
The Hawaii Disability Rights Center, United Group of Home Operators, Adult Foster Home Association of Hawaii, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. The State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Coalition of Care Home Administrators, and The Arc in Hawaii supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Human Services offered comments.
Your Committees acknowledge the many care home operators in Hawaii who have sacrificed so much in their own lives to care for others. While housing costs and costs of care have increased steadily over the years, the level of care payments have remained the same since 1997.
Accordingly, your Committees have amended this bill by:
(1) Removing the term "licensed" with regard to developmental disabilities apartment complexes;
(2) Substituting the word "certified" for "licensed" regarding adult foster homes;
(3) Establishing the level of care payment as a minimum, rather than a maximum, amount that may be paid to care homes;
(4) Leaving the level of care minimum payment amounts blank, to encourage further discussion; and
(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1821, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1821, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,
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____________________________ DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair |
____________________________ ALEX M. SONSON, Chair |
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