SSCR2470

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2470

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NOS. 528, 529

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 528 and 529, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of:

State Council on Developmental Disabilities

G.M. No. 528

CHRISTIAN BUTT,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015; and

G.M. No. 529

JEFFREY OKAMOTO,

for a term to expire 6-30-2015,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Christian Butt and Jeffrey Okamoto to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

The State Council on Developmental Disabilities' federal mandate, Public Law 106-402, determines the composition of the Council to ensure that all stakeholders involved in the development, implementation, and use of developmental disability supports are represented. The law specifically requires that sixty percent of the membership of the Council be comprised of individuals with a developmental disability, their parents, or family members. Additionally, the following agencies are required to be represented on the Council: Department of Health; the agencies that administer funds provided under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Older Americans Act of 1965, Titles V and XIX of the Social Security Act; the Protection and Advocacy Agency; the Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disability Education, Research, and Service; and agencies and private non-profit organizations concerned with services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Your Committee finds that the nominees meet the federal requirements for Council membership.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Christian Butt from the Med-QUEST Division, Department of Human Services; the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Hilopa‘a; and three individuals.

Mr. Butt has an extensive background in public service and a thorough knowledge of contract administration. He is currently the Section Administrator of the Contracts Monitoring and Compliance Section of the Department of Human Services. Previous to his current position, he oversaw procurement activities as the Senior Contracts Manager for the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation and the Contracts Manager for the School Based Behavioral Health Section and Director of the Procurement and Contracts Branch of the Department of Education. Mr. Butt also holds a Juris Doctorate from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii.

Testimony received by your Committee indicates that Mr. Butt has invaluable knowledge from his position with Med-QUEST and his involvement with the contract monitoring activities of the QUEST Expanded Access program. His expertise will strengthen the Council's advocacy to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities have access to and information on medical and dental care. Specifically, Mr. Butt's background and experience with the QUEST Expanded Access program will assist the Council in its State Plan activity to develop a one-page informational sheet that provides clear, concise, and current information on the QUEST Expanded Access program for individuals, families, caregivers, QUEST Expanded Access program care coordinators, and developmental disabilities case managers.

Your Committee finds that Mr. Butt's appointment would fulfill the federal requirement for a representative of Title XIX of the Social Security Act. Your Committee also finds that Mr. Butt's experience will provide the Council with valuable information regarding the issues and concerns for persons with developmental disabilities.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Jeffrey Kunio Okamoto from the Department of Health; the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Hilopa‘a; the Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaii; the Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii; and one individual.

Dr. Okamoto is a medical doctor with an extensive background in pediatrics and developmental disabilities. Currently, Dr. Okamoto is the Medical Director and Interim Division Chief of the Developmental Disabilities Division (Medicaid Waiver) at the Department of Health; a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Subspecialist at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children; and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii.

Dr. Okamoto is a graduate of the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. He went on to do his residency in Los Angeles, California, at Kaiser Permanente specializing in pediatrics and later went on to complete a fellowship in developmental behavior pediatrics at the Children's Hospital, Los Angeles. Most recently, Dr. Okamoto was a Fellow at the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation in Washington, D.C., where he was placed in Congress with the Senate Subcommittee for Children and Families in the Office of Senator Barbara Mikulski (D‑Maryland), with the National Council on Disability, and in the Disability Policy Collaboration Office of The Arc of the United States.

Dr. Okamoto has received numerous awards for his work and contribution to the fields of pediatrics and developmental disabilities. He has demonstrated his strong interest and commitment to children and the developmentally disabled through his extensive involvement in local and national organizations dedicated to these communities.

Testimony received by your Committee indicates that Dr. Okamoto has extensive experience in evaluating, managing, and supporting children and teens with developmental disabilities. He has demonstrated to your Committee a strong motivation to utilize his tremendous wealth of knowledge and clinical experience in the area of developmental and intellectual disabilities. Dr. Okamoto's background and experience in general and developmental pediatrics, policy experience as a Kennedy Public Policy Fellow, and positions in the community on the federal and state level will contribute greatly to the Council's activities addressing the areas of community supports, early childhood, education, employment, and health.

Your Committee finds that Dr. Okamoto's appointment would fulfill the federal requirement for a representative of relevant state entities on the Council. He would serve as the representative for the Department of Health as a relevant State entity and in this capacity he would be the liaison to provide information to and from, and coordination with other Divisions within the Department of Health such as the Adult Mental Health and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Divisions.

Your Committee also finds that Dr. Okamoto's experience would provide the Council with direct and ongoing information about the status of the Developmental Disabilities Division's budget and programs. Furthermore, Dr. Okamoto's nomination will greatly assist the Council in establishing a comprehensive system of supports and services for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair