STAND. COM. REP. 310

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 907

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 907 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADULT RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Transfer the licensing and regulation of community care foster family homes from the Department of Human Services (DHS) to the Department of Health (DOH); and

(2) Classify community care foster family homes as a provisional expanded adult residential care home from June 30, 2003, until residents residing in the facilities are discharged or vacate the facility.

The United Group of Home Operators, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.

DHS; Queen's Medical Center; Residential Choices, Inc.; Case Management Council; Case Management, Inc.; Catholic Charities Elderly Services; and numerous concerned citizens opposed this measure.

Your Committees find that community care foster family homes have provided an invaluable service to Hawaii's rapidly aging community. These care homes are a result of a demonstration project created in Act 273, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, and have helped ease the burden on other long-term care facilities and homes. However, your Committees believe that more information is required to determine if the functions for certification and regulation should be within the scope of DHS or DOH.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this bill by:

(1) Deleting the provisions for foster care homes within DOH;

(2) Extending the sunset of Act 273, SLH 2001, to June 30, 2005;

(3) Requiring DHS to report to the Legislature on the cost-effectiveness and administration of the certification process of community care foster family homes and the possibility of integrating or consolidating the classification of community care foster family homes with adult residential care homes;

(4) Changing the effective date to June 29, 2003; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, conformity, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 907, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 907, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Housing and Health,

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair

____________________________

MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair