HI HCR17

Requests the Department of Health Developmental Disabilities Division to establish a task force to review Hawaii's statutory definition of "developmental disabilities" in section 333F-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Task force must compare Hawaii's definition to other states, discuss eligibility issues, identify gap groups currently ineligible for services, and determine strategies to meet the needs of the intellectual and developmental disabilities population.

Director of Health or designee to serve as chair and solicit representatives from the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies, Department of Human Services Med-QUEST Division, legislative committees, individuals with disabilities, and family members.

Task force members serve without compensation; findings and recommendations must be submitted to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the 2015 Regular Session convenes.

Current definition may exclude people with behavioral challenges such as fetal alcohol syndrome, and task force should identify strategies to provide safety net services to gap groups while considering limited existing funding.