STAND. COM. REP. NO. 162-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2692

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2692 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMUNITY CARE FOSTER FAMILY HOMES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the maximum number of hours a primary caregiver may be absent from a community care foster family home to fifty hours per week and twenty-three hours per day; provided that a substitute caregiver is present.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Adult Foster Homecare Association of Hawaii and six individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Health and one individual.

Your Committee notes that the Department of Health is not opposed to absences of the primary caregiver but believes that the matter of personnel and staffing of community care foster family homes is better addressed in Department administrative rules rather than in statute. Your Committee finds that the Department's administrative rules currently contain a section on the requirements of personnel and staffing of community care foster family homes.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the minimum age requirement for caregivers caring for three clients in community care foster family homes to an unspecified number of years; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2692, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2692, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair