STAND. COM. REP. NO. 417

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 916

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 Human Services and Health & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 916 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOCIAL SERVICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the personal needs allowance for individuals residing in adult foster homes, adult residential care homes, domiciliary homes, and other long-term care facilities from $50 to $75.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Autism Foundation, Self-Advocacy Advisory Council of Maui, Self-Advocacy Advisory Council of East Hawai‘i, Self-Advocacy Advisory Council of West Hawai‘i, Self-Advocacy Advisory Council of Kaua‘i, Self-Advocacy Advisory Council of Lana‘i, Self-Advocacy Advisory Council of Moloka‘i, Self-Advocacy Advisory Council of O‘ahu, and eight individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

Your Committees find that individuals residing in adult foster homes, adult residential care homes, domiciliary homes, and other long-term care facilities use the personal needs allowance for various personal needs, including non-medical transportation, postage, reading materials, clothing, and stationery costs. Your Committees further find that the last time the personal needs allowance was increased was in 2007, when it increased from $25 to $50. Since that time, rising costs of inflation and the aftermath of the coronavirus-19 pandemic have caused a drastic increase in the cost of living and the cost of consumer goods. Your Committees therefore find that it is appropriate to increase the personal needs allowance to effectively support individuals residing in certain long-term care facilities in the State.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the State Supplemental Payment determination of amount of assistance to reflect the personal needs allowance increase to the domiciliary care rate amounts, as of July 1, 2023;

(2) Prohibiting operators from using money from a needs allowance without the consent of the recipient of the needs allowance and requiring operators to maintain records when an individual authorizes the use of their needs allowance that describes how the money from the needs allowance was spent;

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

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health & Homelessness that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 916, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 916, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair

____________________________ JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair