Bill Text: HI SB819 | 2010 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Kupuna Caucus; Kupuna Care; Elder Services; Appropriation
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-24 - (S) The committee on WAM deferred the measure. [SB819 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2010-SB819-Amended.html
STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2243
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 819
S.D. 1
Honorable Colleen Hanabusa
President of the Senate
Twenty-Fifth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2010
State of Hawaii
Madam:
Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 819 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO KUPUNA CARE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Kupuna Care program.
Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the City and County of Honolulu Department of Community Services, the County of Maui Office on Aging, the County of Kauai Agency on Elder Affairs, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Child and Family Service, Lanakila Pacific, The International Labor Workers Union (ILWU), Maui Age Wave, Kokua Council, Project Dana, the Public Advisory Board for Elder Affairs, Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, Maui Family Support Services, Hale Mahaolu, Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans, Kaunoa Assisted Transportation Program, Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP), Na Hoaloha, Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and twenty-one individuals. Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by the State of Hawaii Executive Office on Aging. Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.
Your Committee finds that the ability for elders in our community to age in place is a very important and coveted concept. Elders in our community have continually expressed a desire to be able to remain in their homes as long as possible as opposed to living in nursing homes or long term care facilities, and families have consistently expressed a desire to have their older family members at home as long as possible. In order to facilitate seniors being able to age in place, services such as bathing assistance, chores, personal care and home-delivered meals are essential. Your Committee also finds that the Kupuna Care program fills the needs of these seniors, but current funding is not adequate to keep the Kupuna Care program operating at its current levels. Your Committee further finds that the contents of S.B. No. 2260 is more appropriate to cover the intent of the Legislature. Your Committee additionally finds that providing sufficient funding for the Kupuna Care program intact will enable the staff to retain their positions, thereby maintaining jobs in our community which leads to a more stable, stronger economy.
Your Committee has amended the measure by deleting the specific dollar amount to be appropriated, but notes that $2,963,411 is the amount necessary to restore the program to be fully operational and to address the needs of kupuna on the current waitlist and for underserved kupuna. Your Committee requests that if there are no general funds available for this purpose, that funds from the emergency and budget reserve fund should be used.
Your Committee has also replaced the purpose section of this measure with the purpose section of S.B. No. 2260 and made technical, nonsubstantive stylistic amendments for purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 819, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 819, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,
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____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair |
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