STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2361

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2589

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2589 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish within the Executive Office on Aging the Hawaii Assistance for the Navigation of Alzheimer's Intervention (HANAI) program to support individuals in the State who have Alzheimer's disease; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the establishment of four full‑time equivalent state dementia care specialist positions, one in each county and other expenses.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Health Planning and Development Agency, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Parkinson Association, AARP Hawaiʻi, Alzheimer's Association, Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, Alzheimer's Caregiving & The Caregivers, and twenty-one individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Executive Office on Aging of the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that the State's rapidly aging population is leading to rising numbers of dementia and Alzheimer's disease cases. Your Committee further finds that there are limited medical treatment services on the neighbor islands and in rural areas to address this increase in cases. This measure provides needed support and tools to assist patients with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its contents and inserting the language from S.B. No. 2269, Regular Session of 2026, a substantively similar measure that establishes the Hanai Memory Network Program within the Executive Office on Aging to create a network of dementia care specialists and support systems to assist individuals with dementia and their caregivers; and

(2) Inserting a blank amount for the number of full-time equivalent positions established.

Your Committee notes that this measure, as amended, contains an unspecified appropriation amount. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting an appropriation amount of $3,000,000 to establish and implement the Hanai Memory Network Program.

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. 2589, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2589, 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,

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JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair