STAND. COM. REP. NO. 893

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 902

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 902, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAREGIVERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to expand the State's caregiving workforce to better meet the needs of Hawaii's growing kupuna population.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Establishes a Workforce Development and Support Center within the Executive Office on Aging and authorizes the Center to develop a workforce pilot project to, among other things:

(A) Provide career development courses and pathways for advancement to the non-clinical direct care workforce;

(B) Provide support to address the health and well‑being of caregivers; and

(C) Develop an outreach and marketing plan for a comprehensive statewide recruitment campaign for new health care workers; and

(2) Appropriates an unspecified sum to establish the Workforce Development and Support Center.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, AARP Hawaii, Kupuna Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that this measure represents a concerted effort to address the health care workforce shortage by establishing the necessary infrastructure to create a robust caregiving workforce pipeline and also provide education and training to unpaid caregivers whose labor enables kupuna to continue living at home.

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 S.B. No. 902, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair