CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 39

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    S.B. No. 1182

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1182, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NEEDS ALLOWANCE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to provide financial relief for residents of certain residential care homes by increasing the monthly needs allowance of care home residents.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the monthly needs allowance for residents of long-term care and community care home facilities in Hawaii has not been raised since 1988, when it was set at $30.  Your Committee on Conference further finds that the amount is far too low for these residents to procure the daily necessities essential to enjoy a minimally acceptable quality of life.  Therefore, your Committee on Conference finds it is in the public's interest to raise the monthly needs allowance from $30 to $50.

     Your Committee on Conference amended this measure to:

     (1)  Provide that the monthly needs allowance shall also be paid to individuals who are incapacitated; provided that the operator of the residence or facility at which the person resides spends the money on behalf of the person and provides a written accounting of the spending;

     (2)  Take effect on July 1, 2007; and

     (3)  Make technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1182, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1182, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Co-Chair	____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair
____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Co-Chair	____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair
____________________________ JOHN MIZUNO, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair