STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1528

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 607

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 607, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve the care of elderly persons in the State.

     More specifically, this measure:

(1)  Requires the Executive Office on Aging to establish the Kupuna Caregivers Program;

(2)  Makes the establishment of the existing Kupuna Care Program by the Executive Office on Aging mandatory and clarifies the type and scope of kupuna services and supports provided by area agencies on aging within the program; and

(3)  Appropriates moneys for the establishment of the Kupuna Caregivers Program.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging; AARP Hawaii; Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition; Hawaii Public Health Association; Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs; Catholic Charities Hawaii; Hawaii Section of American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Mental Health America of Hawaii; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Faith Action for Community Equity; Caring Across Generations; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; ILWU Local 142; Key Project; and forty-five individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the growth of Hawaii's aging population continues to accelerate.  With the rise in the aging population, the need for long-term care and services for Hawaii's kupuna has become increasingly widespread.  Your Committee further finds that family caregivers often play a vital role in providing long-term care.  However, being a caregiver can burden families financially, emotionally, and physically.  These burdens can lead to increased stress for caregivers and emotional harm for kupuna who need care, but do not wish to cause stress for their families. 

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

     Should a Committee on Conference convene on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that the Committee on Conference consider:

(1)  Amending the language requiring an assessment to be conducted "if necessary" (at page 14, lines 16-18), to clarify that "An assessment of the eligible care recipient shall include a statewide, uniform comprehensive in-home assessment, if necessary."  This would eliminate possible contradiction with the language requiring an area agency on aging to conduct an intake and assessment of an individual seeking services and supports to determine whether the individual is eligible for the kupuna care program (at page 14, lines 5-10; and page 15, lines 9-11);

(2)  Specifying that a coach will help with the preparation of a person-centered support plan (at page 14, line 20) to conform that section with the definition of "person-centered support plan" in which a plan is prepared with the help of a coach; and

(3)  Clarifying the difference between paragraphs (4) and (8) in section 349-3.1(j), Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 607, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 607, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair