HI HB1872

Appropriates unspecified general revenues to the Executive Office on Aging for fiscal year 2020-2021 to establish full-time ombudsman specialist positions in the long-term care ombudsman program.

Authorizes creation of ombudsman specialist positions for the City and County of Oahu, County of Maui, County of Hawaii, and County of Kauai, working under supervision of the long-term care ombudsman director.

Addresses staffing shortage where Hawaii's long-term care ombudsman program was reduced to only one director in 2015, making it the only state with a single-person ombudsman staff.

Notes Hawaii has over 12,000 long-term care residents and 1,696 long-term care facilities statewide, with the 1995 Institute of Medicine recommendation calling for a minimum of six full-time ombudsmen based on resident population.

Contains defective effective date of December 31, 2059, and leaves dollar amount and number of FTE positions blank in the appropriation section.