STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2411

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2005

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2005 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOME CARE LICENSING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish initial funding to begin the licensing process for home care agencies by appropriating $150,000 to the Department of Health for one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) permanent position.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health and Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

     Your Committees find that the majority of the growing elderly population prefers to age at home.  Your Committees further find that it is important to safeguard this population and ensure the safety of individuals receiving care in their home, by licensing home care agencies.  Your Committees received testimony from the Department of Health expressing concern that the full-time position created by this measure would be funded through special funds and should instead be funded through general revenues.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by adding language to clarify that it is not the Legislature's intent that the position in the Department of Health to facilitate licensing of home care agencies be funded by monies in the office of health care assurance special fund.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Commerce and Consumer Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2005, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2005, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair