STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1393

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 467

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 467, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE KUPUNA CAREGIVERS PROGRAM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Require the Executive Office on Aging to take certain actions regarding the kupuna caregivers program, including reporting on detailed outcomes, developing a plan to maximize program participation, and adopting rules;

 

     (2)  Change the kupuna caregivers program allocation cap from $70 per day to an unspecified amount and limit the daily benefit to one day a week;

 

     (3)  Include additional services to be provided by the kupuna caregivers program; and

 

     (4)  Appropriate funds for the continued implementation of the kupuna caregivers program.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging; Maui County Office on Aging; one councilmember of the Hawaii County Council; Hawaii Women's Coalition; Hawaii Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Hawaii Psychological Association; United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO; International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142; Zonta Club of Hilo; Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition; Church of the Crossroads; Lanakila Meals on Wheels; and three individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, Faith Action for Community Equity, Caring Across Generations, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Public Health Association, Chinatown Gateway Plaza Tenant Association, Mental Health America of Hawaii, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, AARP Hawaii, and twenty-one individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that when an elderly family member needs daytime care, family caregivers often find it difficult to meet those needs and remain fully employed.  Family caregivers perform not only a family service but also a social service, by relieving the State of the burden and cost of elder care.  Your Committee further finds that the efforts of these caregivers should not be made at the expense of their own loss of financial stability, which puts caregivers at risk of financial insecurity in the future.  In recognition of the high costs caregivers face in terms of lost income and career advancement, the Legislature established the kupuna caregivers program in 2017, which provides caregivers with additional resources to cover care and support services for elderly family members, so that caregivers can stay in the workforce.  This measure appropriates funds to ensure that the kupuna caregivers program can continue to provide support to Hawaii's caregivers.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing language that would have required the Executive Office on Aging to take certain actions regarding the kupuna caregivers program, including reporting on detailed outcomes, developing a plan to maximize program participation, and adopting rules;

 

     (2)  Changing the program allocation cap from an unspecified amount to $350 a week and deleting language that would have limited the daily benefit to one day a week;

 

     (3)  Removing the addition of "activities of daily living" from the kupuna caregivers provided services, as this is a term used to refer to people's self-care activities, and not a service that can be provided;

 

     (4)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $2,000,000 for each year of the 2019-2021 fiscal biennium;

 

     (5)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2019; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 467, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 467, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

 

 

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair