STAND. COM. REP. NO.  500-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2292

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2292 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FOSTER YOUTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to help former foster youth in obtaining appropriate medical assistance after they "age out" of foster care at eighteen years of age.  Specifically, this measure requires the Department of Human Services to automatically enroll former foster youth in an appropriate medical assistance program and automatically re-enroll former foster youth until they reach twenty-six years of age.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Family Programs Hawaii; Hawaii Youth Opportunities Initiative, EPIC Ohana, Inc.; many members of the Hawaii Youth Opportunities Initiative HI H.O.P.E.S. Board; and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Department of Human Services offered comments on the measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Requiring the Department of Human Service with federal approval to provide medical assistance to former foster youth who:

(A)  Are younger than 24 years of age in 2012, younger than 25 years of age in 2013, and younger than 26 years of age in 2014;

          (B)  Were under the State's care when they reached 18 years of age or such higher age as the State may elect pursuant to the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010;

          (C)  Were enrolled in the Medicaid program while in foster care; and

          (D)  Have a household income of up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level for Hawaii;

     (2)  Adding a severability clause so federal funding, among other things, will not be adversely affected by the measure;

     (3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2292, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2292, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair