STAND. COM. REP. NO. 764

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1457

       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 S.B. No. 1457, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency general fund appropriation to the Department of Health for the State's obligations under the federal Medicaid title XIX programs.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and Easter Seals.  The Department of Health submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that emergency funding is needed to support current clients and to reasonably admit individuals into the program in order to fulfill court-ordered obligations.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by specifying an appropriation figure of $4,980,523 and by clarifying the language relating to the exceeding of the general fund expenditure ceiling.

     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. 1457, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1457, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair