STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2278

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2796

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2796 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE POLICY ADVISORY BOARD FOR ELDER AFFAIRS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to change the composition of the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs by decreasing the number of members, changing the number of ex officio members, and specifying that ex officio members are nonvoting members.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health Executive Office on Aging.

Your Committees find that the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs has a large number of ex officio members, many of whom are under the age of sixty, which makes it difficult to meet quorum and satisfy the statutory requirement that a majority of Board members be over sixty years old. Your Committees further find that although ex officio members of the Board are voting members, they are sometimes unable to attend Board meetings due to their primary job responsibilities and not as familiar as other members with aging issues. This measure changes the number of members and composition of the Board to improve the efficiency of the Board and ensure that the decisions of the Board are better informed by members with first-hand experience, knowledge, interest, and expertise in aging issues.

Your Committees note their concern that the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs has four vacancies for which nominees have not yet been presented to the Governor for appointment. Your Committees strongly urge the Board to identify potential nominees as soon as possible. Despite your Committees' concern, your Committees recognize that the Board has encountered genuine challenges in filling vacancies and believe that this measure will help alleviate challenges impeding the Board's work.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2796, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2796, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services,

________________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair