STAND. COM. REP. NO.  330-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 2305

      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 Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2305 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES DIVISION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize an emergency appropriation for the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health to continue to provide ongoing services to eligible persons with developmental disabilities who are in the Compact of Free Association population.

     Pursuant to requirements set forth in Article VII, Section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution, the Governor, in Governor's Message No. 187 to the Legislature, requested immediate consideration and passage of this bill by the Legislature to appropriate emergency funds of $500,000 in general funds needed for the Department of Health's Developmental Disabilities Division.

The Department of Health, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Community Alliance for Mental Health, Family Voices of Hawaii, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and an individual testified in support of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion;

     (2)  Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount; and

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

     Should the House Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests its consideration of an appropriation amount of $500,000.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2305, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2305, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair