Bill Text: HI SCR162 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Early Intervention Services & Adult Protective Services; UHERO and Legislative Reference Bureau Studies

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-10 - (S) Referred to HRE/HMS/HTH, WAM. [SCR162 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-SCR162-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	162
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization to conduct an economic analysis of the impact of the State's budget cuts on certain programs within the Departments of Health and Human Services, and requesting the legislative reference bureau to compile available information on the impact of the State's budget cuts on certain programs within the Departments of Health and Human Services.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, in 2009, the Governor revealed plans to impose layoffs and furloughs on state employees in response to the State's revenue shortfall; and

 

     WHEREAS, as a result, the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services are faced with numerous cuts to virtually all divisions and programs within the two departments; and

 

     WHEREAS, in response, Senate informational briefings were held in August and September 2009 to gather information on the potential statewide impacts of the anticipated reduction in health and human services; and

 

     WHEREAS, the following information regarding the impacts of the budget cuts was presented at the briefings:

 

(1)  Hawaii's receipt of a $323,000 federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency through the Clean Water Act would be in jeopardy;

 

(2)  Against the backdrop of a doubling of the number of homeless people in the years 1997 to 2009, the Hawaii Housing Authority's homeless program's branch indicated that the cuts would eliminate five of nine staff positions and would put Hawaii's receipt of $16,650,000 in federal Department of Housing and Urban Development moneys in jeopardy;

 

(3)  The deaf and hearing impaired fear the loss of assistance and specialized vocational training; and

 

(4)  Cuts in youth services would increase gang violence, increase the number of youth in detention facilities, and take away services for abused and homeless children; and

 

     WHEREAS, it has also been reported in the media that the budget cuts will reduce services for:

 

(1)  Individuals with mental illness and disabilities ‑‑ those who need help the most; and

 

(2)  Children, for example, the Healthy Start child abuse prevention program was allotted $10,000,000 in the 2008-2009 state budget and was dropped completely from the 2009-2010 budget; and

 

     WHEREAS, there is a genuine concern regarding the ramifications of the deep cuts to programs in the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the House of Representatives concurring, that the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization is requested to conduct an economic analysis of the impact of the State's budget cuts affecting:

 

(1)  The Department of Health's early intervention services for children and toddlers program; and

 

(2)  The Department of Human Services' adult protective services program; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization is requested to include in its economic analysis referred to in the preceding paragraph:

 

(1)  The dollar amounts, and corresponding percentages, of reductions in the departments' budgets, involving state funds and federal funds, if any, for fiscal year 2009-2010 and 2010-2011;

 

(2)  The loss to employees; in terms of wages and benefits, including the cost of unemployment compensation, the effect on employee pensions, and the effect on the cost of employees' health insurance;

 

(3)  The cost to contract providers of health and human services due to funding that has been reduced or eliminated;

 

(4)  The cost of employing additional health and human services resources to accommodate budget cuts such as emergency medical services, hospital stays, intensive care, insurance claims and reimbursements, services to address increased child abuse and neglect, vulnerable adult abuse and neglect, and other related costs;

 

(5)  The direct economic losses to consumers of affected program services and their families; and

 

(6)  Any other relevant economic impacts including macroeconomic effects on the State's economy; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to prepare a separate report compiling available information on the impact of the State's budget cuts affecting:

 

(1)  The Department of Health's early intervention services for children and toddlers program; and

 

(2)  The Department of Human Services' adult protective services program; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to include in its report referred to in the preceding paragraph information, to the extent available, regarding:

 

(1)  The number of employees providing services in the affected programs before and after the budget cuts;

 

(2)  The number of employees affected by layoffs and furloughs by position title and island of service;

 

(3)  The number and type services provided before and after implementation of budget cuts;

 

(4)  Estimates of the number of persons receiving services through the affected programs, including estimates of parents or guardians receiving services, before and after the budget cuts;

 

(5)  The number of health and human services contract providers affected and estimates of contract amounts received, including source of funding, if available, before and after the budget cuts;

 

(6)  Estimates of any loss or reduction in federal or other non-state funding, matching or otherwise, including private sector grants and donations; and

 

(7)  The negative effects on populations served, including anecdotal information; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health and the Director of Human Services are requested to fully cooperate with and provide all information requested by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization and the Legislative Reference Bureau in conducting their respective separate studies; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization and the Legislative Reference Bureau are requested to submit their respective reports to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, the

Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Director of Health, and the Director of Human Services.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Early Intervention Services & Adult Protective Services; UHERO and Legislative Reference Bureau Studies