STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1242

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 68

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 68, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to promote choice and autonomy for our elderly population who reside in assisted living facilities (ALFs) by modifying existing laws governing the occupancy criteria of ALFs in the state.

     The Maui Long Term Care Partnership and Department of Human Services supported this bill.  The Department of Health opposed this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by:

     (1)  Clarifying that ALFs must provide:

(A)  Necessary assistance for residents to reach a point of safety;

(B)  Routine fire drills and record keeping to demonstrate each facility's evacuation capability;

(C)  Evacuation and fire safety training for staff and residents;

(D)  Reports to fire safety and facility licensing agencies of all fires and other emergency incidents; and

(E)  Established points of safety in and around the facility;

(2)  Broadening the language describing the type of fire safety equipment ALFs must provide to add flexibility and constant compliance in the face of regularly changing local fire codes; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 68, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 68, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing,

____________________________ MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair

____________________________ JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair