STAND. COM. REP. NO.  223

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 825

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 825 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAREGIVING,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to enable the development of a statewide policy to establish a comprehensive and sustainable community-based family caregiver support system for family caregivers who care for elderly individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities.

 

     Specifically, this bill:

 

(1)  Extends for one year until June 30, 2008, the term of the joint legislative committee on family caregiving established under Act 285, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006;

 

(2)  Authorizes the joint legislative committee to explore establishing a paid family leave program under the State's Temporary Disability Insurance law; and

 

(3)  Provides a broader definition of "family caregiver" to include persons who have no blood relationship to the care recipient and grandparents who care for their grandchildren who are eighteen or younger who have physical or cognitive disabilities.

 

     The Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, AARP Hawaii, ILWU Local 142, Hawaii's Voice for a Better Future, and the Policy Advisory Board For Elder Affairs submitted testimony in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committees find that, due to a shortage of care providers in Hawaii, family caregiving has become a critical element of our health and long-term care system.  Families, rather than institutions, are the primary providers of long-term care for older adults in Hawaii.  Caregivers are motivated to provide care to family members because of the preference of the elderly to remain at home with their families and the high cost of institutional long-term care.  Sixty-five per cent of Hawaii's caregivers are employed in addition to their caretaking responsibilities.  To balance their employment and elder care roles, working caregivers take leaves of absence, report to work late or leave early, change from full-time to part-time employment, switch to less demanding jobs, retire early, or give up work completely.  Consequently, caregiving may reduce a caregiver's retirement income because of reduced work hours or fewer years in the workforce, resulting in reduced contributions to pensions, social security, and other retirement savings.  As Hawaii's population ages, many more families will be providing higher levels of long-term care to frail and disabled older adults at home.

 

     Your Committees believe that this bill will provide the joint legislative committee with adequate time to complete its tasks.  Furthermore, your Committees believe that the broader definition of "family caregivers" and the additional authorization for the joint legislative committee to explore establishing a paid family leave program under the State's Temporary Disability Insurance law will give further support to the State's family caregiver support system.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 825 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Legislative Management.

 


 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services & Housing,

 

 

____________________________

MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair

 

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair