STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2723

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2563

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2563 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEMENTIA TRAINING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Health and Department of Human Services to develop and provide dementia training to first responders and investigators from the Department of Human Services' Adult Protective Services Program, respectively.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Alzheimer's Association, Aloha Chapter; and AARP Hawaii. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Department of Human Services.

Your Committees find that as part of addressing the present and continuing "silver tsunami" in Hawaii, first responders and investigators from the Department of Human Services' Adult Protective Services Program should be adequately trained to identify and interact appropriately with individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Because individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias may not respond in a manner typically anticipated by first responders and investigators from adult protective services, providing dementia training designed to help identify, interact with, and intervene in cases of suspected abuse or neglect of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias will enable these employees to better carry out their duties and responsibilities.

While your Committees are in strong support of ensuring that adult protective services workers and first responders receive adequate training to better serve individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and their families, your Committees also recognize the importance of collaboration in determining the necessary components of dementia training.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have required the Department of Health and Department of Human Services to develop and provide dementia training to first responders and adult protective services workers;

(2) Inserting language that establishes a task force to make recommendations to the Department of Health and Legislature regarding the dementia training necessary to help first responders and adult protective services workers appropriately assist with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia patients in responding to emergency calls; and

(3) 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 Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2563, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2563, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health and Human Services,

________________________________ RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair