STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1405

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 144

       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 Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 144 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU TO STUDY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CASH AND COUNSELING PROGRAM IN OTHER STATES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Legislative Reference Bureau to study the implementation of the Cash and Counseling Program in other states.

     Kokua Council submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Legislative Reference Bureau submitted comments.

     Cash and Counseling is a national program whereby recipients of Medicaid personal care services or home‑ and community‑based services receive a flexible monthly allowance and decide who to hire and what services they want to receive.  The program's innovative approach enables participants to direct and manage their personal assistance services according to their own specific needs.  This measure will help determine whether and how a similar program should be established here in Hawaii.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requesting the Department of Human Services to report to the Legislature regarding what impact a Cash and Counseling program would have on Medicaid and adult services programs in Hawaii, instead;

     (2)  Deleting the provision regarding research of the possible use of a similar approach for individuals who are not Medicaid recipients;

     (3)  Amending the title of the measure to reflect the change in agency responsible for the report; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 144, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 144, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair