STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1234

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 107

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 107 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A FAMILY CAREGIVERS WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE AND ASSESS LEGISLATION RELATING TO THE ROLE OF CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITALS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the convening of a Family Caregivers Working Group to examine and assess legislation relating to the role of family caregivers of patients discharged from hospitals.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, AARP Hawaii, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 Hawaii, Kokua Council, PHOCUSED, and nine individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Hawaii Association of Health Plans, Hawaii Pacific Health, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and The Queen's Health Systems.

     Your Committees find that family caregivers are increasingly called upon to provide care for family members who are discharged from the hospital.  Your Committees further find that it is important for hospitals statewide to provide a minimum and consistent level of instruction to caregivers.  Your Committees recognize existing concerns that mandating hospitals to provide instruction to caregivers upon a patient's discharge could create issues related to liability, cost, and implementation.  However, your Committees find that the efforts of the Family Caregivers Working Group created in 2014 are important and should be continued, ensuring that there is an even balance between caregiver advocates and hospitals in the membership of the working group.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting language to include an option for representation from long-term care facilities in the working group;

     (2)  Inserting language to include a member from the Hawaii Association of Health Plans in the working group;

     (3)  Specifying that the member of the working group from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation be the Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation or the Chief Executive Officer's designee;

     (4)  Inserting a provision requesting the working group to analyze public and private community-based resources that are available throughout the State;

     (5)  Making the Legislative Reference Bureau responsible for providing logistical support and preparing any reports for the working group instead of the Department of Health; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 107, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 107, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health,

________________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair

________________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair