Bill > SB2682

This bill aims to provide better support for families in Hawaii where a parent or guardian has a disability, by expanding child care subsidies to disabled parents regardless of their employment status, and by requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS) to more thoroughly assess the capacity of caregivers and the needs of dependents when determining eligibility for Medicaid home and community-based services. Specifically, it allows disabled parents to receive child care subsidies even if they are not working or in school, provided their disability prevents them from safely caring for their children and they meet other financial criteria, and it mandates that DHS evaluate a potential caregiver's own health conditions or disabilities and their ability to provide care, rather than assuming they can. Furthermore, the bill requires DHS to update its evaluation forms and assessment protocols to better identify and address the needs of families with disabled caregivers and dependents, ensuring that service plans adequately support both the individual needing care and their dependents, and it appropriates funds to implement these changes.

Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2682&year=2026