STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1666

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.R. No. 140

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services & Housing and Health, to which was referred H.R. No. 140 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AN ELDER ABUSE TASK FORCE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish an elder abuse task force to study the:

(1)  Contributing factors of elder abuse;

(2)  Methods of prevention;

(3)  Care for elder abuse victims; and

(4)  Any other relevant matters relating to elder abuse.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and the Hawaii Long Term Care Association.  The Legislative Reference Bureau and the National Association of Social Workers submitted comments.

     Your Committees find that elderly persons can face many types of abuse, including financial, mental, physical, and the threat of imminent abuse.  Your Committees also find that, particularly in disputes involving a family member abusing an elderly relative, both private and public sector venues should be available to assist families and their elders.

     Your Committees have amended this Resolution by:

(1)  Eliminating the task force and instead requesting that the study be conducted by the Legislature's Kupuna Caucus and changing the title of the committee report accordingly;

(2)  Requesting the Department of Human Services to provide support and information to the Kupuna Caucus for the study; and

(3)  Correcting the name of the Hawaii Disability Rights Center and adding the Hawaii Long Term Care Association as a stakeholder in discussions on elder abuse.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services & Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 140, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary, in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 140, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services & Housing and Health,

____________________________ JOHN MIZUNO, Acting Chair & Vice Chair

____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair