STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2267

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2070

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2070 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish a full-time program specialist position for Maui County within the Adult Protective and Community Services Branch of the Department of Human Services to oversee the foster grandparent program and senior companion programs for the islands of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

     Your Committee finds that the prior creation of a program specialist on the island of Kauai resulted in a significant increase in the number of active senior volunteers on Kauai, and that the same is needed in Maui County.  In 2014, a federal compliance monitoring of the senior companion program in Hawaii identified the lack of adequate staffing as an area of concern.  The program specialist position created by this measure will provide program support to the foster parent program and the senior companion program, including developing senior volunteers and recruiting and supporting volunteer stations to coordinate assignments in school settings and for home-bound seniors.

     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. 2070 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair