STAND. COM. REP. NO. 74-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2216

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2216 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the cap on state supplemental payments for certain long-term care facilities.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; AARP Hawaiʻi; Providing Healthy Homecare for Hawaii; Oahu Filipino Community Council; Adult Foster Home Association of Hawaii; Adult Foster Homecare Association of Hawaii; United Community Healthcare of Hawaii; Community Homecare Association of Hawaii; Alliance of Professional Primary Care Administrators; Association of Residential Care Administrators; The Primary Care Providers of Hawaii; Thelma Ortal Adult Foster Home; Wilson Adult Foster Home; CMC Kafamilya Adult Foster Home; International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 1000 Home Health Care Operators; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii has more than sixteen hundred community care foster family homes, adult residential care homes, and developmental disabilities domiciliary homes. These home and community-based facilities are an integral part of the State's long-term care system, as they are cost-effective, high quality, and support people's preferences to age in a home-like setting. Your Committee further finds, however, that community caregivers have not seen an increase in the state supplemental payment in the last fifteen years. Increasing the state supplemental payment rate will help these dedicated caregivers cope with the rising cost of living and continue to provide care for Hawaii's elderly and disabled.

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2216, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2216, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair