STAND. COM. REP. NO. 372

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 632
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 632
entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DISABILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the quality of life
for persons with developmental disabilities by:

     (1)  Establishing the Developmental Disabilities Special
          Fund (Special Fund) for individuals with developmental
          disabilities (DD) or mental retardation (MR);

     (2)  Allowing the Department of Health (DOH) to designate
          area agencies or managed support organizations to
          provide supports and services;

     (3)  Providing for a supported living stipend to enable
          DD/MR individuals to live independently in a setting
          other than a licensed residential facility; and

     (4)  Appropriating funds for home and community-based
          services and for a programmatic evaluation of case
          management services provided by DOH.

     The State Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities,
Catholic Charities, Easter Seals Hawaii, the Arc of Kauai, Kona
Krafts, the Brantley Center, and three individuals submitted
testimony in support of this measure.  DOH submitted testimony in

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 372
                                 Page 2

 
support of the intent of this measure.  The Department of Human
Services (DHS), the Arc in Hawaii, and an individual submitted
comments.

     Your Committee finds that this measure addresses several
significant issues that are vitally important to increasing and
enhancing services and supports for individuals with
developmental disabilities in a more flexible and responsive
manner.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending the scope of the Special Fund;

     (2)  Replacing the appropriation that provides:

          (A)  Increased home and community-based services; and

          (B)  Support changes to the present system to make it
               more flexible and responsive to meet the needs of
               families;

          with an appropriation for the State's share of matching
          funds for Title XIX Medicaid funds;

     (3)  Clarifying that the appropriations for Title XIX Home
          and Community-based Waiver Services be expended from
          DHS' "U" fund (HMS 601);

     (4)  Replacing all appropriations with $1 for purposes of
          further discussion; 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 Health that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
632, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 632, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Finance.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 372
                                 Page 3

 
                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Health,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ALEXANDER C. SANTIAGO, Chair