STAND. COM. REP. NO. 872

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1654

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Health and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1654, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GROUP LIVING FACILITIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to terminate conditional use permits issued by a county agency to group living facilities or group homes that do not use the permits or cease operations for one year, in order to address the continued need for the establishment and operation of group living facilities in residential communities.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from two private individuals.

     Your Committees find that there is an ongoing need for group living facilities throughout the State and that this measure will help ensure that unused permits are made available to organizations that will actually use them to provide these critical group home services.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to allow for further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1654, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1654, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair