STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1435-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.C.R. No. 78

      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 Finance, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 78 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING MANDATORY KINDERGARTEN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to support mandatory kindergarten.

Your Committee distributed a proposed draft of this measure in order to conduct a public hearing on its substance.  As proposed, this concurrent resolution requests the Department of Health to convene a caregivers working group to examine and assess the role of caregiving for patients released from hospitals, and the overall circumstances of patients released from hospitals as well as the resources in the community needed and available to assist them.

     The Councilmember of Honolulu District 5, Department of Health, Executive Office on Aging, American Association of Retired Persons, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific Health, Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, The Queen's Health Systems, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Cancer Action Network, Maui County Office on Aging, and several individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Alzheimer's Association, Aloha Chapter and Policy Advisory Board on Elderly Affairs provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution by:

(1)  Replacing its contents with the provisions of the proposed draft, that would convene a family caregivers working group to examine and assess the role of caregiving for patients released from hospitals;

(2)  Expanding the list of participants in the working group to include the Governor, Members of the Legislature, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Oahu hospitals, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation facilities, Kokua Mau, Hospice Hawaii, and Hawaii Long Term Care Association;

(3)  Clarifying that the scope of the working group includes issues encompassed in Senate Bill 2264, 2014 Regular Session;

(4)  Amending its title to read: "REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A FAMILY CAREGIVERS WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE AND ASSESS THE ROLE OF CAREGIVING FOR PATIENTS RELEASED FROM HOSPITALS AND THE OVERALL CIRCUMSTANCES OF PATIENTS RELEASED FROM HOSPITALS AS WELL AS THE RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY NEEDED AND AVAILABLE TO ASSIST THEM."; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 78, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 78, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair