Report Title:

Personal Needs Allowance

Description:

Increases the personal needs allowance from $20 to $30 plus additional changes yearly based on COLA increases or decreases. (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2265

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to human services.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§346-   Personal needs allowance; domiciliary care homes; long-term care homes. (a) There is created a personal needs allowance to be administered by the department, which shall provide eligible recipients with funds to pay for clothing and other miscellaneous personal need such as toiletries, bus fare, personal postage costs, snacks, and other costs of day-to-day living on a monthly basis.

(b) The State's payment for personal needs allowance to those recipients who reside in domiciliary care homes or long-term care homes shall be $30 per month. The director shall provide an additional allowance to reflect the increase, if any, equal to the percentage amount of the supplemental security income cost of living allowance increase as determined by the federal government.

(c) The personal needs allowance payment is not intended to replace or affect the funds received from the federal supplemental security income program, and shall be supplemental to any funds provided to a recipient by the federal supplemental security income program.

(d) The personal needs allowance shall be applied to persons otherwise eligible to receive the funds pursuant to state law or rules, and federal laws or regulations, and is not intended to affect the classifications or number of persons eligible to receive such funds."

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005, for increasing the personal needs allowance for recipients who reside in domiciliary care homes or long-term care homes.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2004.