CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 163

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2013

 

RE:    S.B. No. 106

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam and Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 106, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGING,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish and fund a position for an Alzheimer's disease and related dementia services coordinator;

 

     (2)  Appropriate funds for programs and services that support the State's elderly population; and

 

     (3)  Establish a task force on mobility management to make recommendations on establishing a transportation framework to assist elders and individuals with disabilities with transportation needs in rural communities.

 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that keeping seniors healthy and at home is the most cost-effective manner to address the needs of one of Hawaii's most valuable societal resources.  The increasing numbers of the aging population will also mean that the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders will rise.  In order to effectively plan and implement statewide services to seniors and caregivers, coordination at the state level is necessary to maximize resources.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting language that would have appropriated funds for the aging and disability resource center;

 

     (2)  Deleting language that would have appropriated funds for various senior centers;

 

     (3)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $70,000 to establish and fill an Alzheimer's disease and related dementia services coordinator position for fiscal year 2013-2014 and deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2014-2015;

 

     (4)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $3,600,000 for the kupuna care program for fiscal year 2013-2014 and deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2014-2015;

 

     (5)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $300,000 for the healthy aging partnership program of the Department of Health's Executive Office on Aging for fiscal year 2013-2014 and deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2014-2015;

 

     (6)  Clarifying that the task force on mobility management shall make recommendations on establishing a transportation framework to assist elders and individuals with disabilities with transportation needs in each county;

 

     (7)  Clarifying that the mobility management master plan developed by the task force shall include a transportation service component that utilizes transportation resources of nonprofit organizations that are willing to participate in a vehicle-sharing network to provide transportation services to assist elders and individuals with disabilities in each county;

 

     (8)  Adding service providers from two counties, consumer representatives from counties not represented by service providers, and representatives of the business community to the membership of the task force on mobility management;

 

     (9)  Clarifying that task force members may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred for serving on the task force;

 

    (10)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $30,000 for the staffing, operations, and convening of the task force on mobility management for fiscal years 2013-2014 and deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2014-2015;

 

    (11)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2013; and

 

    (12)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 106, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 106, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Co-Chair

 

 

____________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Co-Chair