STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2197

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2434

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2434 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Executive Office on Aging to establish an Alzheimer's disease and related dementia services program to support individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their families.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging, Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii Primary Care Association, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 Hawaii, Community Alliance for Mental Health, and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that as Hawaii's aging population continues to increase at a rapid rate, so will the number of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other related dementia.  The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and dementia is age.  It is projected that by 2025, the number of people in Hawaii age sixty-five and over who will be diagnosed with dementia will be 34,000, which is an increase of forty-eight percent from 2010.  Your Committee received testimony on this measure indicating that nonprofit agencies in the State are already providing the services that would be performed by the Alzheimer's disease and related dementia services program proposed by this measure.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the language that would have authorized the Alzheimer's disease and related dementia services program;

     (2)  Adding language to establish goals for the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Services Coordinator;

     (3)  Inserting an appropriation of $75,000 for one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) position within the Executive Office on Aging to assist the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Services Coordinator with information and referrals, counseling, education, support groups, and safety services;

     (4)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2014; and

     (5)  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 Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2434, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2434, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair