SB2129

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2129
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO ELDER AFFAIRS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the purpose of the policy advisory board for elder affairs is to contribute to the solutions of the problems relating to aging. The legislature has been advised that, at times, the director of the executive office on aging, as well as other officers of the department of health, have altered, edited, or withheld recommendations of the board in cases where those recommendations may be inconsistent with the recommendations or positions of the administration.

The legislature further finds that the current practice of the director and other officers of the department of health defeats the intended purpose of the board by promoting the policy of the administration over policy benefiting the aging as identified by the board. The recommendations and positions of the board reflect the unique interests of the aging as a group and should be required to be disseminated, unaltered and unedited, by the director or any other state officer.

The purpose of this Act is to prohibit the director and any other state officer from altering, editing, or withholding any recommendation, position statement, paper, or other work product issued by the policy advisory board for elder affairs.

SECTION 2. Section 349-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§349-4 Policy advisory board for elder affairs. (a) There shall be a policy advisory board for elder affairs, appointed by the governor under section 26-34.

(b) The board shall advise the director in, but not limited to, the following areas:

(1) The identification of issues and alternative approaches to solutions;

(2) The development of position statements and papers;

(3) Advocacy and legislative actions; and

(4) Program development and operations.

The director and any other state officer shall not alter, edit, or withhold any recommendation, position statement, paper, or other work product issued by the board.

(c) The board shall consist of not less than twenty-one nor more than twenty-nine members, a majority of whom are over sixty years of age and who shall be selected on the basis of their interests and knowledge in and their ability to make contributions to the solution of problems relating to aging, and shall include at least one member from the county of Hawaii, one member from the county of Maui, one member from the county of Kauai, and one member from the city and county of Honolulu. There shall be nine members who shall serve as ex officio members and shall be chosen from among the heads of the following state agencies which provide services or programs affecting elders: health, human services, education, labor and industrial relations, University of Hawaii, transportation, the state retirement system, the office of consumer protection, and, by invitation, the Hawaii representative of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Of the non ex officio members, one-third of the members shall be appointed for the term of four years, one-third for the term of three years, and one-third for the term of two years; and thereafter the terms of office of each member shall be four years. The members shall serve without compensation, but shall be paid their necessary expenses in attending meetings and carrying out the responsibilities of the board. The chairperson shall be elected annually from the nongovernmental members of the board. There shall be not less than twelve meetings of the board each year."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________