Section 17-1426-2 - Eligibility requirements for senior companions(a) In order to qualify as a senior companion, a person shall meet the following conditions: (1) Be sixty years of age or older;(2) Have a total annual cash income from all resources at or below the income eligibility level established by the director of ACTION. (A) The income eligibility level established in conformance with the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 ( 42 U.S.C. 55061) shall be determined by the national poverty line set forth in section 625 of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, as amended, ( 42 U.S.C. §2971 d), to which is added for individual states that amount a state supplements federal supplementary security income payments for an aged individual.(B) Income eligibility levels shall be reviewed at least once a year;(3) Be physically and mentally able to serve as verified by a physical examination conducted by a licensed physician;(4) Not be in the regular work force;(5) Be able to accept necessary supervision and be capable of serving assigned clients on a regular basis as a volunteer;(6) Be able to regularly participate in the program for a total of not more than twenty hours a week;(7) Understand the special needs of the clients and have a desire to help the clients maintain independence; and(8) Not have a criminal, employment, or other background history which poses a risk to clients served by the program. (A) Applicants and current program participants who have not done so, shall provide the program with information concerning any criminal, employment, and other background history, and consent to history checks by the program. Such information and consent shall be given on forms provided by the program. Applicants shall include those individuals reapplying to the program(b) There shall be no enrollment barriers relating to experience, education, race, sex, creed, national origin, or political affiliation.(c) Married couples may serve jointly as senior companions when: (1) The couple marries after enrollment. Under this condition, each individual may continue to receive a stipend; or(2) Either husband or wife serves without receiving a stipend.(d) Individuals aged sixty or older may be enrolled in the senior companion program as volunteers without stipends when: (1) The individual's income exceeds ACTION'S income eligibility guidelines; and(2) There is no retired senior volunteer program (RSVP) project co-located with the senior companion program; or(3) The RSVP project is unable or unwilling to provide the management role of placing the volunteer at the senior companion program's volunteer station.(4) Volunteers enrolled in the senior companion program without stipends shall: (A) Be encouraged to serve twenty hours a week and, to the extent possible, to serve a minimum of two clients on a regular basis; and(B) Be entitled to all senior companion benefits except for the stipend. No appropriated funds shall be used to pay for the benefits.[Eff 6/29/92; am 8/05/93] (Auth: HRS § 346-56) (Imp: HRS § 90-2; 45 C.F.R. §1207.3 - 5)