STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2802

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2857

       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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2857, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to assure the public of the quality of the care that is offered by providers in the growing home care industry.

 

     Specifically, this measure requires the Department of Health to license home care agencies and appropriates funds for a position in the Department to assist with licensure and monitoring of home care agencies.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.  The Departments of Health and Human Services offered comments.

 

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by changing the amount of the appropriation to an unspecified sum and by clarifying that the exemption from home care agency licensure applies to a home- or community-based agency or entity that provides services, rather than to the services themselves.  Your Committee has also clarified the effective date provision to ensure that, when the measure is repealed on June 30, 2013, sections 321‑11 and 321‑11.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, will be reenacted in the form in which they read on June 30, 2008.  Finally, your Committee has made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the 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 S.B. No. 2857, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2857, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair