STAND. COM. REP. NO. 137-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2159
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was
referred H.B. No. 2159 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO INCREASE HOME-
     AND COMMUNITY-BASED CARE SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide services for persons
with disabilities in the least restrictive environment by
appropriating funds to eliminate the waitlist for Hawaii's Home-
and Community-based Services Waiver Program (Waiver Program).

     The Arc in Hawaii, the Hawaii Disability Rights Center, and
Kokua Council testified in support of this measure.  The
Department of Human Services (DHS) and the State Planning Council
on Developmental Disabilities testified in support of the intent
of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that services through the Waiver
Program give persons with disabilities the opportunity to
integrate into the community and become productive, happy, and
healthy citizens.

     Your Committee further finds that a waitlist also exists for
the Waiver Program for individuals with mental retardation or
developmental disabilities (MR/DD Waiver Program).  An additional
$6,000,000 would cover the projected 140 individuals to be
admitted into the MR/DD Waiver Program for fiscal year 2000-2001,

 
 
 
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and allow 360 individuals into the MR/DD Waiver Program over the
next fiscal year.

     To further enhance these efforts and reduce the waitlist,
your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the appropriations will help 432 people
          who continue to wait for Medicaid Waiver Programs, such
          as the Nursing Home Without Walls Program, the
          Residential Alternatives Community Care Program, and
          the Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly;

     (2)  Clarifying that there are approximately 800 individuals
          on the waitlist for the MR/DD Waiver Program;

     (3)  Reducing the general fund appropriation to expand the
          Waiver Program from $11,200,000 to $2,653,604;

     (4)  Appropriating $6,000,000 in general funds to the
          Department of Health to expand the MR/DD Waiver
          Program;

     (5)  Raising DHS' federal and interdepartmental fund
          ceilings for the MR/DD Waiver Program; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 2159, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2159, H.D.
1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair