STAND. COM. REP. NO.  126-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1754

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1754 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities by establishing the Medicaid Buy-in Program for Individuals with Disabilities Program and making appropriations to implement the Program.

The Department of Health, Community Alliance for Mental Health, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Human Services, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and a concerned individual commented on this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Incorporating the following language changes suggested by the joint legislative Task Force established by Act 200, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, to study the feasibility of implementing a Medicaid buy-in program:

(A)  Removing the Medquest eligibility requirement and supporting the employment of disabled workers by expanding their access to Medicaid;

(B)  Adding Medicaid citizenship, earnings reporting, and asset limitation of not less than $25,000 to the eligibility requirements;

(C)  Authorizing the Department of Human Services to limit enrollment in the Program to not less than 200 individuals;

(D)  Making the Department of Human Services responsible for determining if a person participating in the Program must pay a premium or other cost-sharing charges;

(E)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to report to the Legislature prior to the 2016 legislative session, instead of the 2015 legislative session, and removing the requirement that the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies assist with this report;

(F)  Deleting the appropriation to establish the Program; and

(G)  Changing the appropriation to make the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies, instead of the Department of Human Services, responsible for preparing and conducting outreach and training programs relating to the Program; and

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

     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. 1754, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1754, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair