STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2784

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2085

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2085, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate moneys to support programs and services relating to aging.

     More specifically, this measures appropriates moneys for:

     (1)  The Kupuna Care program;

     (2)  The Aging and Disability Resource Center;

(3)  Fall prevention and early detection services for the elderly;

     (4)  The healthy aging partnership program;

(5)  An Alzheimer's disease and related dementia services coordinator position within the Department of Health; and

(6)  An Alzheimer's disease and related dementia public awareness program.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Maui County Office on Aging, Legislative Committee of Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, AARP Hawaii, Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Catholic Charities Hawaii, The Queen's Health Systems, Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, Alzheimer's Association, Aloha Chapter, ILWU Local 142, and nine individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the State's elderly and aging population face a wide variety of issues that deserve attention and support.  Some of the issues faced by Hawaii's elderly and aging population include a lack of streamlined information about and access to resources that offer information on affordable and quality home- and community-based services, caregiver support, preventing falls and resulting injuries, healthy lifestyles, and the prevalence and dangers of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

     Your Committee believes that the Department of Health and its affiliated offices and divisions are in the best position to provide such support by strengthening existing and new programs and services that address some of the most prevalent concerns facing our elderly residents.  Your Committee also finds that these programs require additional funding if they are expected to successfully serve their intended recipients, especially as our aging population increases.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the $5,100,000 appropriation for the Kupuna Care program to an unspecified amount;

(2)  Changing the $1,710,000 appropriation for the Aging and Disability Resource Center to an unspecified amount;

(3)  Changing the $32,000 appropriation for fall prevention and early detection services for the elderly to an unspecified amount;

(4)  Changing the $485,880 appropriation for the healthy aging partnership program to an unspecified amount;

(5)  Changing the $70,000 appropriation for an Alzheimer's disease and related dementia services coordinator position to an unspecified amount;

(6)  Changing the $200,000 appropriation for an Alzheimer's disease and related dementia public awareness program to an unspecified amount; and

(7)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

     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 S.B. No. 2085, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2085, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair