STAND. COM. REP. NO. 459

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 897

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health & Homelessness and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 897 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a joint task force between the Department of Health's Behavioral Health Services Administration and Department of Human Services' Med-QUEST Division to review policy issues and opportunities related to the navigation, access, and coverage of Medicaid services by persons with autism or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Hawaii Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Action Group, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance, and seven individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Human Services, Department of the Attorney General, and one individual.

Your Committees find that persons who have been diagnosed with autism or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder face difficult and profound challenges in navigating the State's current system of care. Your Committees further find that individuals diagnosed with autism or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder may benefit from a variety of home and community-based services. This measure is intended to identify barriers to access of Medicaid services for persons diagnosed with autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and make recommendations on how these barriers may be reduced.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the scope of the task force's study to allow consideration of other relevant guidelines for screening tools;

(2) Requiring a general fund appropriation to the Department of Human Services before the Department seeks approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services;

(3) Adding an appropriation for an unspecified amount for the Department of Human Services to procure consultant technical assistance to write Medicaid waivers and develop an estimated budget for any task force recommended service and benefit coverage expansions;

(4) Removing a provision that could be interpreted as binding a future Legislature to funding requirements;

(5) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committees respectfully request your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of between $150,000 to $200,000.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health & Homelessness and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 897, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 897, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health & Homelessness and Human Services,

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair