CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 137

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2015

 

RE:    S.B. No. 964

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

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. 964, S.D. 2, 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 appropriate monies to support Hawaii's elderly population. 

 

More specifically, this measure:

 

     (1)  Appropriates funds for the kupuna care program and the aging and disability resource center;

 

     (2)  Requires that the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Services Coordinator be appointed in accordance with chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, no later than July 1, 2017, and appropriates funds for the Coordinator position;

 

     (3)  Appropriates funds for elderly fall prevention and early detection services;

 

     (4)  Appropriates funds to support the healthy aging partnership program; and

 

     (5)  Establishes and appropriates funds for an Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Public Awareness Campaign.

 

Your Committee on Conference finds that Hawaii's kupuna need the State to prioritize their health and well-being.  Census projections indicate that Hawaii's senior population will almost double between 2010 and 2020, with the highest percentage increase occurring in kupuna over the age of 85.  Minimizing the potential financial strain of the aging population on the State and addressing the elderly population's needs require significant proactive efforts.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $3,000,000 for the kupuna care program for fiscal year 2015-2016 only;

 

     (2)  Deleting the appropriation for the aging and disability resource center;

 

     (3)  Deleting the provision appointing an Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Services Coordinator and the appropriation for the Coordinator position;

 

     (4)  Deleting the appropriation for fall prevention and early detection services;

 

     (5)  Deleting the appropriation for the healthy aging partnership program;

 

     (6)  Deleting the appropriation for the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Public Awareness Campaign;

 

     (7)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2015; and

 

     (8)  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. 964, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 964, S.D. 2, 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

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, Co-Chair

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Co-Chair