HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

89

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO PREPARE A PROGRESS REPORT ON detailing efforts to improve and re-engineer processing for Adult Protective Services.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, Adult Protective Services provides crisis intervention, including investigation and emergency services, to vulnerable adults reported to be abused, neglected, or financially exploited by others or seriously endangered due to self-neglect, without regard to income; and

 

     WHEREAS, Act 154, Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, was enacted to better protect vulnerable adults by expanding the Adult Protective Services law contained in Chapter 346, part X, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

 

     WHEREAS, since July 1, 2009, the Department of Human Services has been accepting reports on allegations of caregiver neglect, physical abuse, psychological abuse, self-neglect, financial exploitation, and sexual abuse pursuant to the expanded law; and

 

     WHEREAS, the expanded law also requires the Department of Human Services to investigate a report of abuse on a vulnerable adult, and make an effort to refer the adult to other resources so that future reports or actual abuse do not occur if the Department determines that the criteria for abuse or neglect are not met; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Human Services has limited resources and lacks additional staff and funds necessary to fully implement the expansion of the adult protective services law; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Human Services indicates that it is undertaking important changes to respond to the critical state of Adult Protective Services, including re-engineering processing according to best and evidence-based practices and updating data collection; now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, that the Department of Human Services is requested to provide a progress report to the Legislature detailing efforts to improve and re-engineer processing for Adult Protective Services; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human Services is requested to submit a preliminary and a final report of its progress and future plans to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Sessions of 2014 and 2015, respectively; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Human Services, Administrator of the Social Services Division of the Department of Human Services, and Administrator of the Adult and

Community Care Services Branch of the Social Services Division of the Department of Human Services.

Report Title: 

Department of Human Services; Adult Protective Services