STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1120

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 880

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 880, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE NURSING FACILITY SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to extend the Nursing Facility Sustainability Program.

 

More specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Extends the repeal date of the Nursing Facility Sustainability Program to June 30, 2014; and

 

(2)  Appropriates $12,000,000 out of the nursing facility sustainability program special fund to be used for purposes consistent with the special fund.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Nursing Facility Sustainability Program supports long-term care facilities in the State by leveraging available federal funding for the Department of Human Services to make supplemental payments to nursing facilities to help offset their uncompensated care costs.  Extending the Nursing Facility Sustainability Program for another year ensures the availability of the services provided by long-term care facilities in the State.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by providing that section 4 of the Act which appropriates moneys from the Nursing Facility Sustainability Program special fund, is effective on July 1, 2013, to coincide with the beginning of the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 880, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 880, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair