STAND. COM. REP. NO 36

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 749

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 749 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Human Services to:

     (1)  Use twenty percent of its annual Medicaid budget for housing-related services and other permanent supportive services for homeless individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders; and

     (2)  Seek a section 1115 waiver and other approvals from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to use Medicaid funds to assist homeless individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Ho‘omana Pono, LLC, and one individual.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Human Services.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness.

     Your Committees find that homelessness continues to be one of the State's most significant and challenging social problems.  Homeless persons face a myriad of issues, including general health issues, mental illness, and substance abuse.  By allocating resources for housing-related services and other supportive services for homeless individuals with serious health care needs, homeless individuals will be able to obtain health care in a timely manner and lessen the impact they have on the general population through the costs of social and health care services.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 749 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

________________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair