STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3368

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 153

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.R. No. 153 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND FINANCE TO WORK WITH THE STATE COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO ENHANCE THE ABLE SAVINGS PROGRAM BY PROMOTING IT TO ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY QUALIFY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Budget and Finance to work with the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to enhance the Hawaii Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Program by promoting it to all individuals who may qualify.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Executive Office on Aging, and Hawaii Disability Rights Center.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Program provides individuals with disabilities access to the same types of flexible savings accounts that are available to individuals without disabilities, such as college savings accounts, for which interest earned on savings is tax-exempt. Furthermore, an ABLE account allows individuals with a disability to accrue funds to pay for a variety of expenses, such as medical and dental care, education, community-based supports, employment training, assistive technology, housing, and transportation. Your Committee also finds that there are approximately forty-three thousand individuals who are eligible for the Hawaii ABLE Savings Program; however, many of them are either unaware of the program or are reluctant to enroll due to lack of information about the program. This measure will enable the Hawaii ABLE Savings Program to engage in necessary outreach to educate these individuals and create incentives for them to enroll in the program, allowing them to engage in financial planning and save money for their futures.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 153 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair