Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3254, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to permanently establish the statutory authority for the licensing and certification of home- and community-based case management agencies and community care foster family homes established under Act 273, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH) 2001, as amended by Acts 95 and 98, SLH 2003, as amended by Act 153, SLH 2004.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Human Services (DHS), Catholic Charities Hawaii, and the Adult Foster Home Association of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that Act 273, SLH 2001, established two-year demonstration projects within the DHS for the licensing and certification of home and community-based services. The goals of Act 273 were to assist the DHS in fulfilling its duties as a regulatory body, to ensure the quality of service and competency of home and community-based case management agencies, and to protect the health and welfare of individuals placed in certified community care foster family homes. The projects were scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2003; however, the projects have been extended twice, pursuant to Act 98, SLH 2003, until July 1, 2004, and pursuant to Act 153, SLH 2004, until July 1, 2006.

Your Committee determines that the continued licensing and certification of home and community-based care management agencies and community care family foster homes will provide a valuable and cost-effective alternative to institutionalization. This alternative will also help to ease escalating Medicaid expenditures for long-term care services. Accordingly, your Committee determines that this measure is necessary to protect the safety and welfare of care recipients by ensuring the continued provision of quality services and care at reasonable costs.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive change for purposes of clarity.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3254, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3254, S.D. 2.