STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1122-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2525

      S.D. 2

      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 S.B. No. 2525, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to remove barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities by allowing these individuals to become employed yet retain their Medicaid coverage by establishing a Medicaid buy-in program for individuals with disabilities.

The Department of Human Services, Department of Health, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Community Alliance for Mental Health, United Self Help, Lanakila Pacific, Hawaii Primary Care Association, and a few concerned individuals provided testimony in support of this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Establishing and funding a Medicaid buy-in pilot program in the Department of Health to be implemented by July 1, 2015 and terminated on June 30, 2017, which will serve 100 individuals with disabilities who are no longer eligible for Medicaid benefits because they obtained employment;

(2)  Including an update on the Medicaid buy-in pilot program in the Department of Human Service's report to the Legislature; and

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

     Your Committee respectfully requests that should your Committee on Finance choose to consider this measure, the Committee on Finance consider an appropriation amount of $400,000 to the Department of Health for the Medicaid buy-in pilot program.

     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. 2525, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2525, S.D. 2, 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