STAND. COM. REP. NO. 94

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 51

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 51 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOME CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to protect the health and safety of individuals who receive home care services.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Healthcare Association of Hawaii and Castle Medical Center.  The Department of Health submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure with comments.

     Your Committee finds that the health care services sector is growing in home and community-based provider markets.  Increasingly, elderly and disabled individuals want to be cared for and remain living in their homes instead of being institutionalized.  Home care agencies provide many of the needed supportive services in the home.  However, your Committee finds that these home care agencies do not have to be licensed.  Currently, the only requirement for home care agencies in Hawaii is a general excise tax license.

     It is the intent of your Committee to accomplish the purpose of this measure by requiring home care agencies to be licensed.  This will ensure that quality care is being provided and will help to protect the often vulnerable population from potential abuse, exploitation, and improper care.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adopting the Department of Health recommendation of removing the appropriation from the measure.  According to the department, the licensing process can be established using existing resources within the department.  Your Committee has also made a technical amendment for the purpose of clarity

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 51, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 51, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair