STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2472

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2857

       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. 2857 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOME CARE AGENCIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to require home care agencies to be licensed by the Department of Health and to appropriate funds for a full-time equivalent position in the Department to assist with licensing and monitoring these agencies.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.  Testimony in opposition to this measure as written was submitted by the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that more and more elderly residents of Hawaii want to remain living in their homes rather than being institutionalized, and as the health care sector evolves to respond to rising consumer demand, home and community based provider markets have also increased.  For this reason, it is imperative that the State ensure a minimum level of competence of those providing these services. 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Incorporating the comments made together by the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, by amending the definitions of "home care agency" and home care services; 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. 2857, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2857, 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