STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1597

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 825

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 825, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAREGIVING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to strengthen support for family caregivers and care recipients by gathering information about, and expanding services to, caregivers and their families.

     More specifically, this measure includes:

(1)  Extending the life of the Joint Legislative Committee on Family Caregiving; and authorizing the Committee to explore the establishment of a paid family leave program under the state temporary disability insurance law;

(2)  Requiring the Executive Office on Aging to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the needs of care recipients who are age sixty and older, and the needs of their family caregivers;

(3)  Appropriating funds for the Executive Office on Aging to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment and study of the issues facing grandparents who are caregivers for their grandchildren who are minors or are adults with physical or cognitive limitations;

(4)  Appropriating funds to expand the Kupuna Care program's in-home and access services for qualified care recipients; and

(5)  Appropriating funds for the Sage PLUS program to operate on the neighbor islands.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Policy Advisory Board on Elderly Affairs, the Honolulu Committee on Aging of the City and County of Honolulu, the Area Agency on Aging of the City and County of Honolulu, Catholic Charities Hawaii, the Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, the Kokua Council, the Hawaii Division of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Occupational Therapy Association of Hawaii, Project Dana, and eleven private citizens.  The American Association of Retired Persons Hawaii submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that family caregiving has become a critical element of our State's long-term care system.  Your Committee also finds that as Hawaii's population ages, many more families will be providing higher levels of long-term care to frail and disabled older adults at home.  Your Committee further finds that grandparents who are caregivers for their minor or adult grandchildren experience similar support needs and caregiving costs as do other family caregivers.  Your Committee believes that this measure provides a comprehensive approach that will strengthen support for family caregivers.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the effective date of section 2 of the bill to prevent the termination of the Joint Legislative Committee on Family Caregiving, which would otherwise cease to exist on June 30, 2007; and

(2)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 825, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 825, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair