STAND. COM. REP. NO.388

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 953

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 953 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RESPITE CARE SERVICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for respite care services to families providing home care to a family member with special needs.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Early Intervention Coordinating Council. Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Department of Health.

Your Committees find that persons who provide daily care in their homes for family members with special needs often suffer from physical and emotional stress and isolation, but are unable to afford respite care. Although the State provides some respite care services, your Committees also find that no major appropriations for respite care services have been made since 1990. The Department of Health's respite care program is the only available source of support for numerous families.

Therefore, an increase in funding for the respite program is necessary to provide support for families tasked with the heavy burden of caring for children and adults with developmental disabilities, adults with mental illnesses, infants and toddlers with developmental delays, children and young adults with emotional disabilities or chronic illnesses, adults with disabilities, and the elderly.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 953 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair