STAND. COM. REP. NO. 330

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 789

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 789 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide the Department of Human Services with emergency funds to reimburse Department of Human Services developmental disabilities or mental retardation Medicaid waiver providers for fiscal year 2004-2005.

The Department of Human Services, the Department of Health, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Hawaii Disabilities Rights Center, Kona Krafts, Alternative Care Services, Inc., and one individual submitted testimony in support of this measure.

Your Committees find that the Department of Health's program to provide home and community based services for the developmentally disabled or mentally retarded, also known as the Title XIX Waiver Program, will expend all appropriated funds before the end of the current fiscal year. The Department needs additional funds to meet its fiscal obligations to support its developmentally disabled or mentally retarded clients with services as required by state law and to continue to fulfill its obligations under a settlement agreement.

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. 789 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