STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2444

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3113

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 3113 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO KUPUNA CARE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve government efficiency by incorporating the Kupuna Caregivers Program into the Kupuna Care Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging, County of Hawai‘i Office of Aging, Maui County Office on Aging, Zonta Club of Hilo, AARP Hawai‘i, Alzheimer's Association, American Association of University Women (AAUW) of Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the Kupuna Care Program and Kupuna Caregivers Program were established within the Executive Office on Aging in 2001 and 2017, respectively. The Kupuna Care Program provides long-term services and supports to kupuna as care recipients, and the Kupuna Caregivers Program provides support for working caregivers. Your Committee further finds that despite the two programs providing the same services for the care recipient and caregiver, having two separate programs created silos, which hindered the delivery of a seamless system of supports for kupuna and their caregivers. This measure will streamline the administrative and programmatic burdens of having two separate programs while continuing to provide an array of seamless services and supports to meet the holistic and comprehensive needs of both kupuna and their caregivers. This measure will also allow the Area Agencies on Aging in each county that implement both programs to use their federal, state, and county funds more efficiently and provide services in a timely manner.

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

Your Committee requests that the Executive Office on Aging, in operating the combined program, take into consideration the issues that led to the creation of the Kupuna Caregiver Program in 2017, and continue to address such issues in its management of the combined program.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3113, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3113, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair