STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1073-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2009

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2009, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAMILY CAREGIVER SUPPORT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Extend child care subsidies to children of disabled parents regardless of their employment status; and

(2) Require the Department of Human Services to evaluate caregiver capacity and dependent-care responsibilities when determining eligibility for Medicaid home and community-based services and update its functional assessment protocols to ensure that families with disabled caregivers receive appropriate and timely support.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Disability Rights Center; Hawaiʻi Women Lawyers; Aloha Independent Living Hawaii; Indivisible Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks!; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services and State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2009, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2009, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair