STAND. COM. REP. NO.1110-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.C.R. No. 153

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 153 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO REQUIRE ADULT RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME OPERATORS TO SUBMIT QUARTERLY REPORTS OF PERSONAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES DISTRIBUTED TO RESIDENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the Department of Human Services (DHS) to incorporate into its contracts with Adult Residential Care Homes (ARCHs) an auditing requirement on personal needs allowances (allowance) distributed to residents of ARCHs.

Numerous concerned citizens submitted testimony in support of this measure. DHS and the Alliance of Residential Care Administrators opposed this measure.

Your Committee finds that there is a need to define what personal needs should be covered by the allowance and that there does not appear to be a standard for ARCH operators to follow. Additionally, the amount of $30 is a recommended amount and is not necessarily given in cash to the resident.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution by:

(1) Changing the title to read: "REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE TO WORK WITH ADULT RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME OPERATORS AND RESIDENTS TO DETERMINE THE NEEDS OF THE CARE HOME RESIDENTS";

(2) Clarifying that the $30 per month allowance is a recommendation and not a requirement;

(3) Deleting reference to an inaccurate provision that the State provides an additional $20 monthly allowance to the recipient;

(4) Replacing the provision for DHS to modify its ARCH contracts with the establishment of a Legislative Task Force to determine the needs of ARCH residents; and

(5) 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 153, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 153, H.D. 1.

 

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

 

____________________________

MICHAEL P. KAHIKINA, Chair