STAND. COM. REP. NO. 232-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2217

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2217 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to research any rules, policies, and Medicaid State Plan amendments that are necessary to ensure that clinically appropriate treatments and services for individuals twenty-six years of age or younger with autism spectrum disorder or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder are covered under certain Medicaid programs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education; Department of Health; Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Disability and Communication Access Board; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Hawaii Disability Rights Center; Hawaiʻi Association for Behavior Analysis; Hawaii Autism Foundation; Hawaii Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Action Group; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and one individual.

Your Committee finds that at age twenty-one, people with autism spectrum disorder or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Medicaid benefit. Your Committee believes that requiring the Departments of Health, Human Services, and Education to research and make recommendations on any rules, policies, amendments to the Medicaid State Plan or Medicaid 1915(c) Waiver necessary to provide an extension of treatment and services to these individuals is an important step in assisting them acclimate during the transition from school to community and work environments.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the Departments of Health, Human Services, and Education are to research any rules, policies, and amendments to the Medicaid State Plan or Medicaid 1915(c) Waiver and make recommendations on necessary policy actions or funding;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $150,000, which would result in a federal funds match of $150,000 for a total of $300,000 for the purpose of contracting with consultants with subject matter expertise.

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 H.B. No. 2217, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2217, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair