CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 173

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 1592

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 1592, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL PROGRAM,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the establishment of additional program specialist positions within the Executive Office on Aging for the State's Senior Medicare Patrol Program.

Your Committee on Conference finds that the State's Senior Medicare Patrol Program, established in 1997, educates, assists, and protects Hawaii's most vulnerable population by providing one-on-one counseling, conducting community outreach, and working with other service providers to build a "help net" to assist kupuna statewide. While originally established to protect kupuna from Medicare fraud, the scope of the program's services has expanded to assist kupuna triage other health-related and non-health related fraud cases. Your Committee on Conference further finds that despite the significant expansion of its services and increase in the reported number of fraudulent activities targeting the State's kupuna, the program continues to operate with just two full-time staff positions, relying on volunteers to provide the needed services. This measure will allow the program to retain additional staff to effectively meet the rising demand for its services for the State's kupuna.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding the requisite information for making an appropriation in excess of the general fund expenditure ceiling pursuant to article VII, section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution and sections 37-91 and 37-93, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Appropriating $186,288 for fiscal year 2023-2024 and $192,408 for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Program Specialist III position, one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Program Specialist IV position, and one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) Program Specialist V position within the Executive Office on Aging for the State's Senior Medicare Patrol Program;

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2023; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1592, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1592, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO Co-Chair	____________________________ HENRY J.C. AQUINO Chair
____________________________ BERTRAND KOBAYASHI Co-Chair	____________________________ SHARON MORIWAKI Co-Chair