CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 15-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1787

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1787, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish "employment first" as a policy of the State and counties;

(2) Define "employment first" as the competitive employment and full inclusion of persons with a disability in an integrated setting as a first and preferred option for employment services;

(3) Require state and county agencies to implement this policy in hiring practices and all programs and services administered or funded by the State or counties; and

(4) Require the Department of Human Services to apply employment first principles to Medicaid home and community-based services programs.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 2022; provided that the requirement that the Department of Human Services apply employment first principles to Medicaid home and community-based services programs shall not take effect until June 30, 2023.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1787, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1787, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE	ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE
____________________________ LES IHARA, JR. Chair	____________________________ RICHARD H.K. ONISHI Co-Chair
____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI Co-Chair	____________________________ MARK M. NAKASHIMA Co-Chair
____________________________ LAURA ACASIO Co-Chair	____________________________ JACKSON D. SAYAMA Co-Chair
____________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN Co-Chair