STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1593

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 807

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 807, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAREGIVING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish an Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman within the Executive Office on Aging and to support its operations.

This measure also appropriates $311,628 and $236,627 in fiscal year 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 to establish three additional ombudsman program specialist IV positions and a clerk typist II position, to support a regional long-term care ombudsman program on the neighbor islands.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  The Executive Office on Aging offered comments.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure to change the appropriated amounts to unspecified amounts for the purpose of facilitating further discussion.  Your Committee has also made technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarify and style.

     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 H.B. No. 807, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 807, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair