STAND. COM. REP. NO. 768

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 51

       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 S.B. No. 51, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of individuals in the State who require the services of home care agencies.

     Specifically, this measure requires the Department of Health to license home care agencies by adopting rules.  This measure defines "home care agencies" and "home care services".  The measure is repealed on June 30, 2009.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and Wilson Homecare.

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Health should be given an opportunity to regulate home care agencies through licensing.  However, the repeal of this measure in 2009 will not provide enough time for rules to be adopted and for the effects of the licensing program to be properly reviewed.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by changing the repeal date to June 30, 2012 in order to afford the Department of Health sufficient time to adopt rules and to properly review its actions.  Your Committee has also 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. 51, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 51, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair