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AARP HI ADVOCACY UPDATE March 25, 2019 HAWAII SAVES Hawai'i Saves, Senate Bill 1374, House Draft 1 is our top priority this 2019 Session. We are asking people to call 1-844-281-7533 and tell your State Representative to pass Senate Bill 1374, so all hardworking Hawai'i workers have the choice to save easy, through payroll deduction at work. Hawaii Saves must still be scheduled for a hearing by the Finance Committee before it can go to the floor for a final reading. The great news is this version is similar to the model state program OregonSaves and authorizes the department of budget and finance to set up the Hawaii Saves Retirement Savings Program, to provide workers, especially small business employees who don't have a retirement program at work, the choice to save through payroll deduction, the easiest and most effective way to save. For too many Hawai'i workers, a secure future is simply out of reach. Social Security alone is not enough, and half of our workers don't have a way to save for retirement through their jobs. Without retirement savings, these workers may need to rely on public assistance later in life. Passing Hawai'i Saves will empower workers to create a secure future for themselves and their families—and could save taxpayers up to $32.7 million on public assistance in just the next 15 years by helping people save for tomorrow. Hawai'i Saves is a commonsense solution that lets small businesses access an easy, low-cost retirement savings option, and gives their employees a way to save for the future out of their regular paycheck. Hawaii Saves will save taxpayer money, help small business and give 216,000 Hawai'i workers an easy way to save at work. BUDGET ITEMS, KUPUNA CARE/CAREGIVERS, HEALTHY AGING Note the House is going through a new, zero -based budget process this Session, placing many of our usual budget item programs into question. There are two primary budget bills (HB2 and HB116) that may contain appropriation amounts for these programs in addition to the following bills. The Kupuna Caregiver Program has two appropriation bills to fund the program and both continue to move forward in each chamber (SB1025, HDI and HB467, SDI). The House position limits benefits to once per week; the Senate position is to fully fund the program. HB467, SDI now has the "good" Senate language with full funding for the program while the House includes the "bad" language from HB467 to limit the program to helping people just one time per work (or $70 vs. $350/ week). The Senate has inserted the $2 million per year appropriation in its bills, the House has not. The Kupuna Care funding bills both continue to move forward in each chamber. SB1023 was heard by the House subject matter committees and they inserted blank appropriation amounts. HB465, HDI was heard by the Senate CPH Committee on March 13; Chair Baker inserted the full $9 million appropriation funding and made the date of the bill good to go (so the House could simple accept the Senate Draft and it would then be able to go to the Governor for signature to become law).