Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1103 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the personal care program at Hale Mahaolu.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Hale Mahaolu and two Maui County Council members. Comments were submitted by the Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Human Services.

Your Committee finds that providing personal care services to Maui County's disabled and/or chronically ill adults enables them to maintain an independent lifestyle in their own homes, and prevents premature or unnecessary institutionalization. While the need for personal care services has increased, program funds have been reduced. Thus, your Committee believes that providing services to these clients to allow them to maintain an independent lifestyle in their own homes reduces costs of long term care for families, communities and government.

Your Committee adopted the amendment suggested by the Department of the Attorney General to refer to the appropriation as a grant rather than a grant-in-aid, consistent with the terminology used in chapter 42F, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1103, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1103, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.