THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

137

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO HEALTH.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Home care is a quickly expanding component of elderly care, largely because the overwhelming majority of the growing elderly population prefers to age in place in their homes in spite of disabilities that they may have.  Home care enables them to do so by assisting them with daily living activities and by providing other related in-home care.  The public must be assured that home care agencies are meeting minimum standards when delivering care.  Because many elderly live alone and are facing declining mental functions, the State must ensure that Hawaii's elderly population is receiving the highest quality care from home care providers.

     In the regular session of 2009, the legislature passed S.B. No. 415, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1, which was enacted as Act 21, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2009.  The purpose of Act 21 was to protect consumers of home care services by requiring home care agencies to be licensed.  Act 21 designates the department of health as the home care licensing agency, and the department has collaborated with home care agencies, consumer advocates, and other stakeholders to draft the administrative rules needed to implement licensing.  Those draft rules are in the last stage of the approval process.

     The department of health intends to use licensing fees charged to home care agencies to cover the administrative costs associated with licensing.  Initial funding, however, is needed to start the licensing process so that fees can be collected.  After the first year, licensing fees will cover the administrative costs of licensing.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013-2014 for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) permanent position in the department of health to facilitate licensing of home care agencies.

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

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2013.


 


 

Report Title:

Health; Elderly Home Care; Licensing; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates an unspecified amount to the department of health to create one full-time position in the department to facilitate licensing of home care providers.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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