Bill Text: HI HB467 | 2019 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To The Kupuna Caregivers Program.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 27-4)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-04-18 - Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 917). [HB467 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2019-HB467-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
467 |
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THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE KUPUNA CAREGIVERS PROGRAM.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that in 2017, 17.8 per cent of Hawaii's population was sixty-five years or older, and with projections of an increase to 19.4 per cent by 2020 and 23 per cent by 2030, caring for Hawaii's kupuna is a high priority of the legislature.
The legislature finds that currently there are 154,000 unpaid family caregivers in Hawaii who are taking care of their parents, spouse, or other relatives who need extra care. Family caregivers play a crucial role in the State's health care system by providing long-term care to the elderly, all unpaid. However, it is imperative to ensure that the caregivers take care of themselves and have the necessary support and services to sustain their own health as well as the health of the family member for whom they are caring.
To address this issue, the kupuna caregivers program was established on July 6, 2017, and aims to provide working caregivers with additional resources to cover a variety of support services such as: adult day care, assisted transportation, homemaker services, and many more important services to qualified kupuna. The program ensures that caregivers continue earning their own retirement benefits, which helps businesses retain experienced workers and provides peace of mind that loved kupuna are well cared for while caregivers remain in the workforce. This program allows caregivers who are juggling their own employment with their caregiving responsibilities to simultaneously take care of their kupuna and themselves.
Since the establishment of the kupuna caregivers program, the executive office on aging has reportedly received hundreds of calls from Hawaii residents wishing to receive the benefits of the program. While the creation of the program was an important first step, the legislature believes that the program requires additional third and fourth year funding to have the impact it needs. With the high volume of residents showing interest in the program, the current funding needs to be increased in order to better serve the people of Hawaii.
The purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Require the executive office on aging to include in its annual report to the legislature a section detailing outcomes of the kupuna caregivers program;
(2) Require the executive office on aging to offer a plan to maximize the number of recipients served by the program and offer certain core services;
(3) Include additional services to be provided by the kupuna caregivers program; and
(4) Appropriate funds for the implementation of the kupuna caregivers program.
SECTION 2. Section 349-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
"(b) The planning and administrative services division shall engage in the following activities, including but not limited to:
(1) Preparation and submission of programs and budgets;
(2) Preparation of an
annual evaluation report on elder programs for the governor and legislature[;],
which shall include a section detailing outcomes of the kupuna caregivers
program, including but not limited to:
(A) Evaluation
metrics;
(B) A
cost breakdown and analysis of individuals served, by county and type of
service received;
(C) Consolidated
data of the existing waiting list broken down by county; and
(D) Recommendations
to support the implementation and execution of the program;
(3) Preparation of studies and analysis;
(4) Maintenance of personnel records;
(5) Management of contracts and agreements entered into by the executive office on aging with public and private vendors, consultants, and suppliers;
(6) Monitoring the purchase of service agreements with public and private agencies and rendering technical assistance to elder program service providers; and
(7) Establishment and maintenance of reimbursement systems for services provided by agreement with federal, state, and county agencies, as well as private groups."
SECTION 3. Section 349-18, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (b) and (c) to read as follows:
"(b) The program shall be coordinated and
administered by the executive office on aging and implemented through the area
agency on aging. The executive office
on aging shall offer a plan to:
(1) Maximize the
number of participants served by the program; and
(2) Offer the core
services listed in subsection (c).
(c)
The kupuna caregivers program shall award an allocation of funds,
subject to the availability of funding and up to a maximum of [$70] $
per day, to cover costs for [the following] services that would
otherwise be performed by the qualified caregiver for the care recipient[:],
including but not limited to:
(1) Activities
of daily living;
[(1)] (2) Adult
day care;
[(2)] (3) Assisted
transportation;
[(3)] (4) Chores;
[(4)] (5) Home-delivered
meals;
[(5)] (6) Homemaker
services;
[(6)] (7) Personal
care;
[(7)] (8) Respite
care; or
[(8)] (9) Transportation;
provided that the daily benefit for each qualified recipient is limited to once per week; provided further that the allocated funds shall be issued directly to the service provider upon request and receipt of an invoice for services rendered."
SECTION 4. The executive office on aging shall submit a
copy of the kupuna caregivers program plan, as required by section 349-18(b),
Hawaii Revised Statutes, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to
the convening of the regular session of 2020. In addition to the plan, the executive office
on aging shall create administrative rules to implement and administrate the
kupuna caregivers program by January 1, 2022.
SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2019-2020 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for proper implementation of the kupuna caregivers program.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the executive office on aging for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 6. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2059.
Report Title:
Kupuna Caucus; Kupuna Caregivers Program; Appropriation
Description:
Requires the Executive Office on Aging to include details on outcomes of the Kupuna Caregivers Program in its annual report. Requires Office on Aging to create a plan to maximize number of participants in the program and offer core services, requires plan submission to Legislature. Changes the kupuna caregivers program allocation cap from $70 per day to an unspecified amount per week. Appropriates funds. (HB467 HD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
