STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1591

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   S.B. No. 102

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 102, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ELDERLY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to better protect elderly individuals from financial abuse by:

     (1)  Requiring financial institutions to report suspected financial abuse of an elder to the appropriate county police department as well as to the Department of Human Services and specifying means of reporting;

     (2)  Requiring county police departments to proceed with a criminal investigation upon notification by a financial institution of suspected financial abuse of an elder; and

     (3)  Clarifying the definition of financial abuse.

The Department of Human Services, Executive Office on Aging, Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii Bankers Association, Hawaii Credit Union League, and many individuals testified in support of this measure.  The University of Hawaii System provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 102, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 102, S.D. 2, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair