STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2807

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 849

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 849, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the provision of certain social services.

Superficially, the measure:

(1) Sets the state supplemental payment ceiling at $809 for type I adult residential care homes, licensed developmental disabilities domiciliary homes, community care foster family homes, and certified adult foster homes;

(2) Sets the state supplemental payment ceiling at $917 for type II adult residential care homes;

(3) Includes the care rate and personal needs allowance in all of the foregoing state supplemental payments; and

(4) Sets the monthly needs allowance at $75.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services; Disability and Communication Access Board; Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Executive Office on Aging; Long-Term Care Omubdsman; The Arc in Hawaii; AARP Hawaii; ILWU – Local 1000/Sebastian's Arch, LLC; Family Services of Oahu; Clubhouse International; and five individuals.

Your Committee recognizes that state supplemental payments help ensure that there are an adequate number of facilities to assist individuals in need of social services. Your Committee finds the state supplemental payment ceilings have not been adjusted in sixteen years, therefore, increases in supplemental payment ceilings may be warranted. Your Committee also finds that an increase in the monthly needs allowance from $50 to $75 may be advisable due to inflation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by commencing the implementation of the measure's state supplemental payment provisions on October 1, 2024.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 849, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 849, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair