STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3072

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2581

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2581, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a Home and Community Based Services Care Home and Long-Term Care Home Facility Repair and Renovation Loan Guarantee Office and program administered by the Department of Human Services to guarantee qualified loans made for the repair or renovation of care homes or facilities.

     Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committees find that this measure would encourage the upgrades necessary to home- and community-based facilities to increase their capacity so that a greater number of elderly and disabled clients who so elect may remain in the community setting. 

     Your Committees note that the Department of Human Services has requested $1,600,000 in its budget for state fiscal year 2008-2009 for Medicaid clients deinstitutionalized from hospitals to home and community-based services.  These moneys would provide an excellent funding opportunity for the office and program established by this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2008; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2581, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2581, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair