STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2552

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3003

S.D. 1

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.B. No. 3003 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII ABLE SAVINGS PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Repeal language that gives the Director of Finance discretion to use moneys in the Hawaii ABLE Savings Program Trust Fund if the Director elects to accept deposits from contributors instead of sending deposits directly to the ABLE Program Manager;

(2) Authorize the Director of Finance to expend moneys in the Hawaii ABLE Savings Program Trust Fund to provide incentive payments to Hawaii public school ABLE account owners;

(3) Make an appropriation to the Department of Budget and Finance to fund the incentive payments; and

(4) Make an appropriation to the Department of Health for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent position within the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to provide statewide outreach, advocacy, and relationship management for the Hawaii ABLE Savings Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, Executive Office on Aging, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the ABLE Savings Program authorizes eligible account holders with disabilities to establish flexible savings accounts for college, health, and individual retirement. Presently, approximately twenty-three thousand individuals with developmental disabilities in the State are eligible to open an ABLE Savings Program account, with an additional twenty thousand individuals with other disabilities eligible for the ABLE Savings Program. As ABLE provides individuals with opportunities to engage in financial planning, this measure expands accessibility to the ABLE Savings Program to ensure more eligible individuals are prepared for their futures.

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

Your Committee notes that this measure contains an appropriation for an unspecified amount. Your Committee urges the stakeholders to determine an appropriate figure to be considered by your Committee on Ways and Means, should it choose to deliberate on this measure.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3003, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3003, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair