STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1639

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 118

       H.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 118, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO PREPARE A PROGRESS REPORT ON DETAILING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE AND RE-ENGINEER PROCESSING FOR ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Human Services to prepare a progress report on detailing efforts to improve and re-engineer processing for adult protective services.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that Adult Protective Services provides crisis intervention, including investigation and emergency services, to vulnerable adults reported to be abused, neglected, or financially exploited by others or seriously endangered due to self-neglect, without regard to income.  While the Department of Human Services has limited resources and lacks additional staff and funds necessary to fully implement the expansion of the adult protective services law, the Department indicates that it is undertaking important changes to respond to the critical state of Adult Protective Services, including re-engineering processing according to best and evidence-based practices and updating data collection.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 118, H.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair