PART I.  GENERAL PROVISIONS

Note

  Part heading added by L 1983, c 122, §3.

     §333E-1  Findings and purpose.  The legislature finds that:

     (1)  The State of Hawaii has a responsibility to provide support and services for individuals with developmental disabilities in order to support them in living self-determined lives according to section 333F-8;

     (2)  Several departments of the State are responsible for various support and services to individuals with developmental disabilities;

     (3)  Lack of coordination among the services and planning activities of the various departments of the State results in gaps in the spectrum of needed services, duplication of services, lack of clarity in responsibility for services, and poorly articulated inter-agency programs, thereby reducing the quality of programs for individuals with developmental disabilities;

     (4)  Because of specific mandates of the departments, it is essential that a body responsible for coordinating services and planning for individuals with developmental disabilities be established outside the departments responsible for support and services;

     (5)  There exists within the state department of health for administrative purposes only, a state council on developmental disabilities appointed by the governor and mandated by federal legislation, supported in large part by federal moneys and required by federal law to provide advocacy, capacity building, systemic change, planning, and coordinating activities, promoting interagency collaboration, and enhancing coordination to better serve individuals with developmental disabilities and their families;

     (6)  The purpose of this chapter is to establish the state council on developmental disabilities as the state agency responsible for coordinating services to individuals with developmental disabilities in Hawaii;

     (7)  Community participation is a major goal of the State, thus state and county agencies should adopt policies and regulations which will support individuals and their families to fully participate in their communities; and

     (8)  Family support is another major goal of the State in providing families of children with disabilities the support services necessary to support the family; to enable families of children with disabilities to nurture and enjoy their children at home; to enable families of children with disabilities to make informed choices and decisions regarding the nature of support, resources, services, and other assistance made available to the families; and to support family caregivers of adults with disabilities. [L 1975, c 198, §1; am L 1979, c 180, pt of §1; am L 1980, c 239, §1; am L 1987, c 339, §4; am L 2001, c 175, §1]