STAND. COM. REP. NO. 186

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1204

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1204 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ELDERLY,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the counties to financially assist caregiving programs that receive federal funding cuts.

 

     The City and County of Honolulu Department of Community Services, the Hawaii Aging Advocates Coalition, 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 component to the provision of long-term care in Hawaii.  Federal funds for programs that provide services to family caregivers were reduced in the latest reauthorization of the Older Americans Act.  The counties in Hawaii have been the recipient of these funds and have developed important and necessary programs for family caregivers, including support groups, conferences, and training.  This measure will ensure that these programs continue despite the reduction in federal support.

 

     Your Committees received a statement from the City and County of Honolulu Department of Community Services that their caregiving programs would experience a shortfall of approximately $164,023.

     Your Committees note that the remaining counties are expected to provide the Committee on Ways and Means with similar shortfall information stemming from the cuts in federal funding to programs that provide services to caregivers in those counties.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1204 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair