STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1931

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 1916

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 3

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1916, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAREGIVING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the healthcare and long-term care system by strengthening support for family caregivers.  Among other things, this bill:

(1)  Extends the Joint Legislative Committee on Family Caregiving (Joint Committee) for one year;

(2)  Requires the Executive Office on Aging (EOA) to conduct an assessment of care recipients' needs and the needs of their family caregivers;

(3)  Requires EOA to conduct an assessment of the issues facing, and the needs of, grandparents raising grandchildren; and

(4)  Appropriates funds to expand services for care recipients and their family caregivers.

     Testifying in support of this bill were the County of Hawaii Office of Aging, Honolulu Committee on Aging, City and County of Honolulu Department of Community Services, Hawaii Aging Advocates Coalition, Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, AARP Hawaii, Hospice of Hilo, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Kokua Council, Occupational Therapy Association of Hawaii, Project Dana, Catholic Charities Hawaii, the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, ILWU Local 142, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and many concerned individuals.  The Department of Health and EOA offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Narrowing the focus of the Joint Committee to include family caregivers who assist persons age 60 and older with physical or cognitive disabilities;

(2)  Deleting the appropriation for EOA to conduct the needs assessment;

(3)  Appropriating an unspecified sum for the development of the Aging and Disability Resource Center;

(4)  Deleting the appropriation for EOA to conduct the assessment of grandparents raising grandchildren;

(5)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage continued discussion; and

(6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1916, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1916, S.D. 2, H.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair