STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2072

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2152

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2152 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE TASK FORCE ON AGING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a task force to study the need for and feasibility of establishing a Department on Aging, require the task force to submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature, and appropriate funds for task force operations.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Maui County Executive on Aging, the Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, ILWU Local 142, and the Kokua Council.  Testimony supporting the intent of this measure was submitted by the University of Hawaii.  Testimony in opposition to this measure as written was submitted by the Executive Office on Aging.  Comments on the measure to the effect that the measure is unnecessary were submitted by the Department of Budget and Finance. 

     Your Committee finds that the comments submitted by the Executive Office on Aging regarding the unrealistic time frame for the task force to accomplish its mission, and that the Executive Office on Aging should have voting rights on the task force, have merit. 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Incorporating the comments submitted by the Executive Office on Aging by amending the task force membership to include a representative from the Executive Office on Aging, by extending the term of the task force to June 30, 2010, and by amending the date for the task force to submit its report to the Legislature to no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2152, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2152, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair