STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2799

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2129

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2129, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELDER AFFAIRS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure the recommendations and positions of the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs (Board) are disseminated unaltered and unedited.

     Specifically, this measure prohibits the Director of the Executive Office on Aging from altering, editing, or withholding any work product issued by the Board because that work product is inconsistent with the recommendations or positions of the Administration.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Hawai‘i Alliance for Retired Americans, the Chair of the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, and a concerned citizen.  The Executive Office on Aging submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that the recommendations and positions of the Board reflect the unique interests of the aging as a group.  Undoubtedly, the Legislature, in establishing policy and law for the aging, could benefit from these recommendations and positions.  Furthermore, this benefit would ultimately inure to the people and families of the State, including the aging.  Your Committee finds that this may be accomplished if the Board were allowed to communicate directly to the Legislature.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Giving the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs the authority to directly testify before the Legislature on any matter related to its duties and responsibilities; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to ensure further discussion and consideration.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2129, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2129, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair