STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1442

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1236

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1236, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to expand Medicaid assistance to cover working adults with disabilities.

The measure expands the State's Medicaid program by:

(1)  Establishing within the Department of Human Services, a two-year, working disabled adults pilot program, and appropriating funds to the department to implement the program;

(2)  Establishing within the Department of Human Services the Medicaid buy-in program for workers with disabilities; and

(3)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to submit a report to the Legislature on the pilot program and the buy-in program.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of Health, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Lanakila Pacific, and two individuals.

     Your Committee finds that many people with disabilities want to work but worry that doing so could jeopardize their health coverage.  Expanding access to Medicaid would provide people with disabilities who are interested in working the opportunity to obtain or keep health coverage while on the job, which not only benefits the individuals' self-esteem, but also contributes to their self-sufficiency and independence.  The employment of people with disabilities will encourage more consumers to put money back into the economy and result in more contributing taxpayers and better use of state resources.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1236, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1236, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair