Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2343, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure the health and safety of Hawaii's elderly and disabled in care facilities by authorizing the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) to conduct criminal background checks of persons providing care or having access to the elderly and disabled in healthcare facilities.

DOH, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and Kokua Council testified in support of this bill. The Department of Human Services (DHS) supported this measure with comments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

Your Committee notes that DHS supported this measure but expressed concern that its ability to act was not explicitly linked to a criminal history of relevant crimes as defined in the bill.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2343, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2343, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.