STAND. COM. REP. 2481

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2228

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2228 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GENERAL ASSISTANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make amendments to general assistance eligibility for persons between 18 and 65 years of age by:

(1) Requiring review of medical records before claim denial if no disability is determined;

(2) Requiring the Department of Human Services to give prompt notice of treatment recommendations and authorizing the treating doctor to determine compliance with the recommendations; and

(3) Combining physical and mental disabilities to determine general assistance eligibility.

Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Legal Aid Society. The Department of Human Services submitted testimony in opposition.

Your Committee finds that general assistance benefits are designed to assist individuals who are unable to work because of a disability. Often applicants are denied, but only to be overturned after a review of their medical records during a hearing. It is also undeniable that consideration shall be given to both physical and mental examinations. Physical problems usually exacerbate mental impairments and these combined can render the person unable to work. Furthermore, recipients of general assistance are not always given clear treatment recommendations. This measure attempts to remedy these problems in the program.

After further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by adding further clarifying language to ensure that qualified applicants receive these benefits. Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made for the purposes of conforming to legislative drafting style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2228, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2228, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair