Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2001 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a Hawaii caregiver grant program to assist family caregivers in offsetting the costs of caring for a mentally or physically impaired relative.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from one individual. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure as written from the Executive Office on Aging and Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs.

Your Committees find that family caregivers are vital to the long-term health care of elderly and disabled individuals who prefer to receive care and assistance at home. Home care is a costly role for family caregivers and often a full-time job.

Your Committees further find that other states have implemented similar grant programs for family caregivers that have proven to be successful. These programs have shown to be an important incentive for families and have saved these states staggering amounts in Medicaid costs alone.

Your Committees adopted the recommendation of the Executive Office on Aging and amended this measure by eliminating the special fund, as it does not meet the financially self-sustaining requirement of section 37-52.3, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Your Committees further amended this measure by allowing grant applicants to apply between January 1 and March 1, rather than between February 1 and May 1, of the year following the calendar year in which the care was provided. This would allow grant payments to be received closer in time to the actual services provided.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2001, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2001, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.