STAND. COM. REP. NO. 779

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 427

       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. 427, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to increase the state supplemental payments for certain domiciliary care and require a portion of the payment to be retained by the recipient for personal use.

     The Kokua Council, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, and one concerned individual submitted comments in support of this measure.  The Department of Human Services and the Disability and Communication Access Board submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will provide a personal needs allowance for individuals living in nursing facilities and individuals living in domiciliary care, type I and type II, and community care foster family homes.  The increase in the personal needs allowance from $30 to $50 per month per person will substantially improve the quality of life for adult residential care home residents and ensure that a fair portion of the state supplemental payments are allocated for their unique monthly personal needs.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity 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 S.B. No. 427, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 427, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair