Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

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, H.D. 2, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to more adequately compensate care home operators by establishing a minimum level of care payment for types I and II adult residential care homes and by clarifying that domiciliary care includes care provided in developmental disabilities domiciliary homes, developmental disabilities adult foster homes, and developmental disabilities apartment complexes.

Your Committees received testimony in support of the measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board, the Adult Foster Home Association of Hawaii, the ARC in Hawaii, the Alliance of Residential Care Administrators, the Hawaii Coalition of Care Home Administrators, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, the United Group of Care Home Operators, and approximately two hundred and fifty-five individuals. The Department of Human Services and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities support the intent of this measure, but prefer the provisions of Senate Bill No. 3247, S.D. 2. The Department of Health submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

Your Committees find that it is important for individuals with developmental disabilities to have adequate access to residential housing. Domiciliary homes and apartment complexes offer assisted living services that enable these individuals to prosper in their communities. However, a lack of funding has forced many of these homes and complexes to close.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

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, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1821, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.