STAND. COM. REP. NO.  147-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1884

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1884 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE OFFICE OF THE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to achieve the goals of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program mandated by the United States Administration on Aging through the Older Americans Act by appropriating funds to the Executive Office on Aging to establish and fund three additional long-term care ombudsmen positions, one each for the County of Maui, County of Hawaii, and County of Kauai.

The State Long Term Care Ombudsman, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, and an individual supported this measure.  The Executive Office on Aging and two individuals provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the amount appropriated to establish three ombudsman specialist positions to an unspecified amount; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion.

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee on Human Services respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $300,000 for the purpose of establishing three ombudsman specialist positions.

     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 H.B. No. 1884, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1884, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair