STAND. COM. REP. NO. 535-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 1912

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1912 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE KUPUNA CAREGIVERS PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure that family caregivers are better able to take care of themselves and have the necessary support and services to sustain their own health as well as the health of the family member for whom they are caring by appropriating funds for the Kupuna Caregivers Program.

The Department of Community Services of the City and County of Honolulu, AARP Hawaii, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, Caring Across Generations, Faith Action for Community Equity, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Hawaii Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, PHOCUSED, Mental Health America of Hawaii, Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District VIII, Hawaii (Guam & American Samoa) Section, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, Young Progressives Demanding Action, Hawai‘i Public Health Association, American Association of University Women of Hawaii, YWCA O‘ahu, Hawaii Women's Coalition, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Kukui Na Kupuna LLC d.b.a Home Instead Senior Care, Zonta Club of Hilo, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. The Executive Office on Aging provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language requiring the Executive Office on Aging to provide additional information regarding the outcomes of the Kupuna Caregivers Program in its annual report on elder programs;

(2) Specifying that funds appropriated may only be used for Kupuna Caregiver Program services provided by care homes licensed under Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(3) Changing the amount of funds appropriated for the Kupuna Caregivers Program from $2,000,000 to an unspecified amount;

(4) Changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to facilitate further discussion; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

Should the Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure, your Committee on Health and Human Services respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $2,000,000 for the Kupuna Caregivers Program.

Finally, your Committee notes that it has requested the Executive Office on Aging to provide the Committee on Finance with a detailed breakdown of expenditures for the $600,000 appropriated for the 2017-2018 fiscal year for the Kupuna Caregivers Program, including the number of caregivers the program assisted, should this measure receive further consideration.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1912, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1912, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair