Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2713, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to keep our seniors safe by appropriating funds to the Executive Office on Aging for the expansion of the Kupuna ID Project.

Specifically, this measure appropriates money to the Executive Office on Aging to enable the SageWatch program to operate the Kupuna ID Project as part of its outreach activities, including the hiring of two individuals.

Initially, the Kupuna ID Project was started on a volunteer basis by the Department of the Attorney General and its law enforcement partners. The project helps our seniors by providing them with an identification card that aids emergency personnel in identifying a lost or disoriented senior citizen and contacting the appropriate party. Senior citizens have expressed their support for the free cards and your Committee believes that the Kupuna ID Project is a worthwhile program that should be continued.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2713, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2713, S.D. 2.