STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1696

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 113

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 113 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE HAWAII STATE EXECUTIVE OFFICE ON AGING UPDATE THE 2013 WHITE PAPER ON ACTIVE AGING AND PROVIDE A FINAL REPORT ON ITS UPDATED VERSION NO LATER THAN THE START OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF 2021,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request that the Hawaii State Executive Office on Aging update the 2013 white paper on active aging and provide a final report on its updated version no later than the start of the Regular Session of 2021.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Executive Office on Aging.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's older adult population is growing rapidly and at a constantly increasing pace. The State has responded by putting initiatives in place to build infrastructure for eldercare, which focuses principally on the medically-defined needs of the frail, disabled, and dependent populations. Although these initiatives are vital to the health and well-being of Hawaii's older person population that is frail or dependent on caregivers, your Committee finds they do not address the needs of the elderly population that remains active and independent. For these individuals, a policy of active aging and promoting high cognitive and physical function and maintaining engagement in life, rather than solely focusing on avoiding disease and disability, may be more appropriate.

This measure requests the Executive Office on Aging to respond to the needs of the active aging population by updating its 2013 white paper on active aging to create a new social policy paradigm centered on active aging. Your Committee notes the Executive Office on Aging's concern that additional funding is necessary to update the 2013 white paper. However, your Committee encourages the Executive Office on Aging to partner with community groups including but not limited to Caring Across Generations, University of Hawaii Center on Aging, or Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs to begin developing an active aging plan. Your Committee finds that if an active aging plan is developed, the Legislature may be more open in the future to entertaining a request for funding to complete the update to the 2013 white paper.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments, including in its title, for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 113, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 113, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair