STAND. COM. REP. NO.  445

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 867

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 867 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE MANDATORY REPORTING OF FINANCIAL ABUSE OF ELDERS BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require financial institutions to report suspected financial abuse against an elder to the appropriate county police department instead of the Department of Human Services.

 

     The Department of Human Services and the Executive Office on Aging testified in support of the measure.  Hawaii Credit Union League testified in support of the measure with amendments.  The Honolulu Police Department opposed the measure.  Hawaii Bankers Association provided comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Reinstating the original statutory requirements that financial institutions report suspected abuse to the Department of Human Services;

 

     (2)  Allowing the required reporting of suspected financial abuse to be made by facsimile or electronic device;

 

     (3)  Reinstating the original statutory requirements that upon receipt of a report of suspected financial abuse, the Department of Human Services, in a timely manner, determine whether it has jurisdiction over the elder and to proceed accordingly pursuant to established procedures;

 

     (4)  Requiring the police department to proceed in a timely manner with a criminal investigation after the receipt of a report; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 867, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 867, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair