HB 491 Summary

• Relaxes the thirty-hour per week employment requirement for qualified caregivers under the Kupuna Caregivers Program during a governor-declared state of emergency, allowing the executive office on aging to reduce or eliminate the requirement during the emergency period.

• Adds "kupuna caregiver-directed services" as a second service delivery option alongside traditional contracted service providers, allowing care recipients and qualified caregivers shared decision-making authority over the budgeted dollar amount for services and supports.

• Expands the coach's duties to include assisting care recipients and family caregivers with enrollment process activities such as completing state and federal tax forms, privacy forms, background check forms, and other enrollment-related documents.

• Allows kupuna caregivers program funds (up to $210 per week) to be issued directly to either the service provider or the care recipient's financial management service provider upon receipt of invoices.

• Modifies definitions to change "homemaker services" to "homemaking" and "chores" to "chore," and updates the person-centered support plan definition to emphasize the qualified caregiver's ability to remain in the workforce.