STAND. COM. REP. NO 123

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 276

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 276 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELDER AND VULNERABLE ADULTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to strengthen elder and vulnerable adult care and plan for the future needs of the State's kupuna by creating the Hawaii kupuna trust fund.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Maui County Office on Aging, and AARP Hawaii.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     Your Committee finds that establishing a Hawaii kupuna trust fund would support Hawaii's kupuna by utilizing public and private funding to meet overdue needs and prepare for future responsibilities to protect the State's elder and vulnerable adults.  As examples, grants awarded from the trust fund would help prevent elder abuse and neglect, avoid financial exploitation of kupuna, and assist residents in elderly housing facilities.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the oversight authority for the Hawaii kupuna trust fund from the Department of Budget and Finance to the Department of Health; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 276, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 276, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair